What happened
- Operational Recovery: Daily flight counts have risen from 64 in late March to 80 on April 1. The airline is increasing frequencies to improve connectivity at the Abu Dhabi hub.
- Policy Extensions: Etihad has extended its flexible rebooking and refund policies until April 15, 2026. Additionally, Etihad Guest has lowered tier qualification and requalification criteria by 25% until March 31, 2027.
- Market Context: While Gulf carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways are also recovering, Etihad is launching aggressive sales to drive bookings. Travelers should note that ongoing war conditions may invalidate some travel insurance products due to warzone exclusions
Etihad Airways is operating 80 passenger flights from its Abu Dhabi hub on April 1, 2026, marking a significant increase as the airline recovers from its brief suspension during the Iran War that began February 28. The airline is currently operating at roughly 40% of its pre-war schedule and is ramping up operations to restore destinations. Key updates for frequent fliers include:
Sources add · 1
- LoyaltyLobby: Etihad has really started to ramp up operations this week, after flying a very limited schedule for a couple of weeks at the start of the Iran War