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A day earlier than planned, Etihad Airways appeared to have resumed the operation of certain flights out of its main hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Over the weekend, the UAE flag carrier, along with many of its other fellow Middle Eastern airlines, had to come to terms with sudden and stark airspace closures as the volatile geopolitical situation in nearby Iran reached a boiling point in the form of air strikes by US and Israeli forces.
With this in mind, Abu Dhabi International Airport was set to remain closed until tomorrow afternoon, with the UAE also having found itself on the periphery of the conflict due to retaliatory attacks from Iranian forces. However, in recent hours, Etihad Airways, the airport’s largest operator, has begun to operate flights once again on certain routes. Elsewhere, a Lufthansa Airbus A380 also departed from Abu Dhabi Airport earlier today.
Back In The Air
According to the latest guidance on the 
Etihad Airways website, the carrier is currently advising passengers that, due to “regional airspace closures, (…) all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 14:00 UAE time on Tuesday, March 3.” Despite this, as reported by Air Live and as seen in the map above based on tracking data made available by Flightradar24, an Airbus A380 took off bound for London just over two hours ago.
Operating Etihad Airways flight EY67, this service actually started its journey flying away from London Heathrow Airport (LHR), having headed southeast into neighboring Oman before swinging around to the right and flying west across Saudi Arabia. This routing, while roundabout, will keep the jet away from the worst of the conflict in the region. At the time of writing, the aircraft’s estimated arrival time into London Heathrow was 6:22 pm.
Simple Flying has reached out to Etihad Airways for further information on this matter. We will update our coverage upon receiving a statement from the airline.
Several Other Etihad Airways Flights Have Also Taken To The Skies
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi International Airport’s website explains that “passengers scheduled to travel today should check directly with their airline before heading to the airport.” The facility adds that it is “working closely with airlines and relevant authorities to manage the situation and minimise disruption,” with “the safety of [its] passengers [remaining its] highest priority.” As it happens, EY67 is one of several Etihad flights to have left today.
Indeed, while current tracking data made available by Flightradar24 shows that the departure boards in Abu Dhabi are still awash with cancellations, some scheduled departures have managed to get off the ground, albeit with varying degrees of delays. Indeed, following EY67’s departure at 2:39 pm local time, it was followed by EY41 to Amsterdam (AMS) at 2:50 pm, with this flight operated by a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner.
Since then, a select handful of other Etihad flights to destinations both near and far have also taken to the skies. Indeed, this list includes services to destinations such as Dammam (DMM), Delhi (DEL), Islamabad (ISB), Jeddah (JED), Karachi (KHI), Moscow (SVO), Mumbai (BOM), Paris (CDG), and Riyadh (RUH).
Terminal Chaos: Thousands Sleep In Airports As Middle East Hubs Remain Crippled
The region’s air travel infrastructure has come to a halt.
A Lufthansa Airbus A380 Also Departed Abu Dhabi Earlier Today
While Etihad Airways flight EY67 to London Heathrow was the first regularly scheduled passenger service to depart Abu Dhabi International Airport after its apparent reopening, it wasn’t the first departure altogether. Indeed, Air Live notes that this honor fell to a Lufthansa Airbus A380 bearing the registration D-AIMK, which took off for Munich Airport (MUC) at 1:21 pm. However, Abu Dhabi is not a regular destination for the German carrier.
Instead, the double-decker widebody quadjet had been in the UAE for maintenance purposes, with Flightradar24 showing that it arrived in Abu Dhabi from Munich on November 6 of last year as LH9900. After an extended period on the ground, it operated a five-hour circular test flight (LH9929) on February 26 before tensions boiled over, and it is now expected to reach Munich as LH9851 at 6:16 pm local time, albeit without any passengers.
