Etihad expects rise in travel demand as Abu Dhabi opens borders to fully vaccinated travelers

By Shilpa Annie Joseph, Official Reporter
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Etihad Airlines
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UAE’s national airline Etihad Airways is expecting an increase in travel demand to and from Abu Dhabi, following the government’s decision that all vaccinated travelers from outside will no longer be required to go through quarantine.

According to the reports, fully vaccinated travelers (with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO)) can arrive from all international destinations without the need to quarantine.

Furthermore, all travelers will require a PCR test within 48 hours of departure, a test on arrival, and retesting on select days depending on the country they have traveled from. However, unvaccinated travelers shall adhere to the rules in effect at the time of their arrival.

Tony Douglas
Tony Douglas
Group CEO
Etihad Aviation Group

“The news is perfectly timed to begin welcoming the world back to Abu Dhabi. We expect a huge surge in demand from tourists and visiting friends and relatives from around the world. This will also give UAE residents greater flexibility and peace of mind when traveling globally. The emirate has delivered one of the world’s best public health programs to protect the population with an extremely high vaccination rate, and smart technologically-driven solutions such as the Al Hosn app to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. This is a huge step forward as the UAE prepares to host the EXPO 2020, the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and many more global events over the coming months.”

“Etihad is currently operating to 65 passenger destinations with one of the world’s youngest and most sustainable fleets. We look forward to welcoming our guests to Abu Dhabi with Etihad to enjoy this world-class destination – an emirate and capital city we’re so proud to call our home,” Mr. Douglas added.

Etihad was the world’s first airline to fully vaccinate its employees on board. The airline also mandates 100 percent of its passengers to show a negative PCR test result before boarding to protect the inflight environment, which is currently widely regarded as one of the best in the world.

The airline has implemented a comprehensive sanitization and wellness program as well as adheres to the highest hygienic standards throughout the passenger journey. This includes catering, aircraft and cabin deep-cleaning, check-in, health screening, boarding, inflight, crew interaction, meal service, disembarkation and ground transportation, and so on.

Related: Middle Eastern travel demand rising; Still lower than Pre-COVID: IATA

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