Etihad Airways released an updated flying programme in the early hours of 12 March, giving clarity to passengers through next Monday and widening its fee-free change policy. The schedule, published at 05:38 local time, lists restored services to 35 destinations including London-Heathrow, Paris-CDG, Mumbai, Singapore and New York, while keeping routes over Iranian and Iraqi airspace on hold. Customers holding tickets issued on or before 28 February with original travel dates up to 21 March may now rebook on any Etihad-operated flight until 15 May 2026. Refund requests can be lodged online; the carrier warns of high call-centre volumes and recommends digital self-service tools. Etihad has also issued a scam alert after reports of fake social-media accounts offering “priority refunds.”
![Etihad issues new timetable through 15 March and extends free-change window to 15 May]()
Passengers rearranging their travel plans should also verify visa requirements, especially for newly added transit points. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) expedites UAE and third-country visa processing, delivers status alerts, and offers document checklists, reducing administrative stress while Etihad’s adjustments play out.
Operationally, Abu Dhabi International Airport remains on heightened security footing, with landside pick-up zones shifted 100 metres from the terminal to ease traffic flows. Etihad Crew Services confirmed that cockpit and cabin crew are being rostered on reduced duty hours to mitigate fatigue linked to longer routing around closed corridors. For corporate travel managers, the new timetable is valuable because it allows forward planning for the crucial Sunday-Monday business-travel wave. Multinationals basing regional staff in Abu Dhabi should cross-check meeting schedules against the reopened destinations list and advise travellers to keep itineraries flexible beyond 15 March. Etihad’s incremental restart strategy mirrors that of sister airlines in the Gulf but, analysts say, highlights Abu Dhabi’s role as an alternative hub should Dubai suffer further disruptions. “The capital’s airport has spare slot capacity and newer terminal infrastructure, which could prove critical if rerouting persists,” noted aviation economist Dr Maysa Al-Habsi.
Passengers rearranging their travel plans should also verify visa requirements, especially for newly added transit points. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) expedites UAE and third-country visa processing, delivers status alerts, and offers document checklists, reducing administrative stress while Etihad’s adjustments play out.
Operationally, Abu Dhabi International Airport remains on heightened security footing, with landside pick-up zones shifted 100 metres from the terminal to ease traffic flows. Etihad Crew Services confirmed that cockpit and cabin crew are being rostered on reduced duty hours to mitigate fatigue linked to longer routing around closed corridors. For corporate travel managers, the new timetable is valuable because it allows forward planning for the crucial Sunday-Monday business-travel wave. Multinationals basing regional staff in Abu Dhabi should cross-check meeting schedules against the reopened destinations list and advise travellers to keep itineraries flexible beyond 15 March. Etihad’s incremental restart strategy mirrors that of sister airlines in the Gulf but, analysts say, highlights Abu Dhabi’s role as an alternative hub should Dubai suffer further disruptions. “The capital’s airport has spare slot capacity and newer terminal infrastructure, which could prove critical if rerouting persists,” noted aviation economist Dr Maysa Al-Habsi.
