Covid-19: Etihad to resume flights to Madina in November

Etihad Airways has announced the resumption of flights to the holy city of Madina, Saudi Arabia, from November 27, 2021.

Madina will be served three times a week from Abu Dhabi using Airbus A321.

"We look forward to reconnecting Abu Dhabi with Madina, a city of enormous historic and religious significance for Muslims around the world. Our flights will support the growing demand for religious travel and strengthen the existing air links between the UAE and Saudi Arabia," said Fatma Al Mehairi, vice-president sales UAE at Etihad Airways.

Located in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, Madina is a three-hour flight from Abu Dhabi. The city is home to Prophet Mohammed's (PBUH) Mosque and burial site and an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims.

The country's two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madina allow full-capacity attendance for fully vaccinated worshippers following an easing of restrictions earlier in October 2021.

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Madina will be Etihad's fourth destination in Saudi Arabia after Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh. The route was established in 2014 but was temporarily suspended in 2020 as a result of travel restrictions following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Passengers flying to Madina are not required to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated with either two doses of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, or have received two doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac plus one dose of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna.

-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi