Abu Dhabi airport sees Etihad resume flights amid escalating Middle East conflict

Amid escalating violence in the Middle East that forced several airports to shut operations, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport Monday saw resumption of activity.

Etihad ran flights that could only be boarded by some passengers on a day more missiles flew into Tehran and Israel. Bloomberg quoted Timur Susarov, a representative of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi, as saying that these were special flights that applied only to passengers with Etihad Airways tickets. Susarov reportedly said this in a video posted on Telegram.

Eight Etihad Airways flights took off on March 2, according to Flightradar24 data.

On Saturday, the US and Israel launched major attacks across Iran, following which Iran fired back missiles at American bases in the Middle East region. Israel, Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar, among others, became targets of Iran’s retaliation.

Across the globe, air travel systems were disrupted following the conflict. Several airports were shut and thousands of travellers were left stranded at airports and hotels.

Which flights took off from Abu Dhabi airport

Two flights to Mumbai and Delhi were among the eight flights that took off from Abu Dhabi airport Monday. The Mumbai flight left at 15.35 and the Delhi flight at 15.55.

8 passenger flights have been able to take off from Abu Dhabi since 14:00 local time. pic.twitter.com/4eYs3ReJaJ — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 2, 2026

8 passenger flights have been able to take off from Abu Dhabi since 14:00 local time. pic.twitter.com/4eYs3ReJaJ

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 2, 2026

The first Etihad flight took off at 14:39 and headed to London. Followed by a 14.50 flight to Amsterdam.

At 15.02, an Etihad Airways flight took off to Paris, and at 15.12, to Moscow. The Karachi flight left Abu Dhabi at 15.24, and the Islamabad flight at 15.45.

Travel help for Muscat

SalamAir is reportedly providing integrated bus transfers from Sharjah (SHJ) to Muscat (MCT). The transport bus connects Sharjah with emirate destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ajman. The bus schedule for Tuesday, March 3, 2026, to Thursday, March 5, 2026, is published on the Salam Air website. All passengers are advised to purchase tickets in advance and arrive at the stations at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.

Those passengers who require an Oman visa are requested to complete an application on the official website beforehand.

Flight cancellations reported in India

On Sunday, March 1, 2026, around 350 Indian-operated domestic airlines were cancelled following the airspace restrictions in the Middle East.

Around 410 flights were cancelled on Saturday, February 28, 2026, due to the developing situation in the Middle East.

With the cancellations and panic that followed, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) issued an advisory to the passengers to be updated with their flight status and coordinate with the airlines for required assistance.

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