Etihad Airways will resume a limited number of commercial flights from Friday, March 6, as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East following escalating attacks linked to the ongoing Iran conflict. The airline announced that flights will initially operate between Abu Dhabi and select key international destinations, with priority given to passengers who already hold confirmed bookings.
In a statement posted on social media, the airline said travellers should avoid going to the airport unless they have been directly contacted by Etihad Airways or hold confirmed tickets for the newly scheduled flights. The airline also confirmed that tickets are currently available for purchase through its official website, while operational adjustments are being made to ensure passenger safety and manage demand during the disruption.
Meanwhile, authorities in Bahrain reported that fresh Iranian attacks targeted a hotel and two residential buildings in the capital city, Manama. According to the country’s Interior Ministry, civil defence teams quickly responded to the incident and successfully contained a fire that broke out in one of the affected buildings. Officials confirmed that there were no fatalities resulting from the strikes.
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In the United Arab Emirates, repeated explosions were reported near Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Airport authorities advised passengers not to travel to the airport unless they had confirmed flight bookings and had received official communication from their airline. Access to airport terminals has also been restricted strictly to passengers holding valid tickets.
The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed that three people were killed and 94 others were injured in the latest attacks. The injured included individuals from several nationalities, including Emirati, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Filipino, Egyptian and Sri Lankan citizens. Officials said the country’s air defence systems detected seven ballistic missiles during the incident, intercepting and destroying six of them, while one missile landed within UAE territory.
Authorities further stated that since the start of what they described as Iranian aggression, a total of 196 ballistic missiles have been launched towards the UAE. Of these, 181 were intercepted and destroyed by air defence systems, 13 fell into the sea and two landed inside the country. As a precautionary measure, several major tourist attractions in Dubai, including Global Village and Ain Dubai, have remained closed while security assessments continue across the region.
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