Etihad to resume flights to 15 destinations from mid-July, including seven cities in India

Etihad is set to add 15 new cities to its flight schedule from Thursday, July 16, meaning it will fly to 40 destinations across the globe next month.

The airline will operate inbound and outbound flights to several new destinations across Europe, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.

Flights to seven destinations in India make up part of the new flight schedule published on the airline's website. This includes services to Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. To Europe, the airline is adding flights to five cities, including Manchester, Munich and Istanbul.

Regionally, Etihad will begin flying to Amman in Jordan and Cairo, Egypt. The UAE's national airline is also set to resume flights from Abu Dhabi to the Maldives. This coincides with tourism reopening in the Indian Ocean archipelago on Wednesday, July 15.

"From 16 July, subject to the lifting of international restrictions and the reopening of individual markets, Etihad Airways plans to expand its current network to cover over 40 global destinations. These will include major gateways in the Middle East, North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia," confirmed an Etihad spokesperson.

Etihad will resume flights to these destinations from Thursday, July 16:

Amman

Cairo

Dusseldorf

Istanbul

Manchester

Munich

Belgrade

Bengaluru

Kozhikode

Mumbai

Chennai

Hyderabad

Kochi

Delhi

Male

Negative test needed to enter Abu Dhabi airport from other emirates

The new schedule means that Etihad will now be flying to 40 cities worldwide: all routes have received approval from the UAE government.

Passengers are reminded to check the latest travel advice and regulations before booking a flight.

"All travellers must ensure that they meet the required entry, health and quarantine regulations set by the UAE authorities, and those at their destination," said an Etihad spokesperson.

People flying into Abu Dhabi must have a valid UAE resident visa and ICA approval number before they can book travel.

Etihad's website originally stated that passengers travelling to Abu Dhabi International Airport from Dubai or other emirates would not need a Covid-19 test to reach the airport. This advice has since been updated and all travellers now need a negative test before they can cross the Abu Dhabi border. "If you are travelling between emirates to reach the airport, you must prove that you have tested negative for Covid-19 within the past 48 hours," confirmed Etihad.

Online check-in resumes

Etihad has also resumed its online check-in services. Travellers can use this service to check in and select a seat up to 30 hours ahead of a flight.

Some seats will appear unavailable to allow Etihad to follow social distancing guidelines. Travellers can also request seats upon arrival at the airport: check-in at the airport opens three hours ahead of flight times.

Previously, Etihad had suspended online check-in to allow staff to allocate seats to ensure social distancing on flights.

Emirates has recently reopened routes to 48 cities across the world and low-cost carrier Flydubai is taking bookings for flights to 24 destinations.