UAE-UK flight: Etihad confirms first flight disruption after Heathrow Airport limits passengers

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has confirmed the first disruption to its flights due to the situation at Heathrow airport.

In a statement to Khaleej Times, an Etihad Airways spokesperson confirmed that their flight EY26 from London to Abu Dhabi on July 14, 2022, will depart ahead of schedule.

"The flight will now depart earlier than planned at 5.20pm instead of 8.45pm to avoid the peak congestion period at Terminal 4."

The statement also clarified that Etihad's teams are "reaching out to notify passengers of the new departure time and assist connecting travellers who require alternative travel arrangements."

Etihad Airways says it regrets the inconvenience but had to resort to changing the timings "to avoid cancelling the flight."

The airline also said, "It is working with airport authorities at London Heathrow to understand how capacity restrictions will be applied over the rest of the summer season in order to protect as many customer bookings as possible."

On Tuesday, Etihad Airways said it was aware of the temporary capacity limits at Heathrow Airport and "is working with the airport authorities and the slot coordinator to understand how they will be applied".

Over 60 flights have been cancelled by Heathrow, affecting more than 10,000 passengers. This is after the airport saw a rebound in demand for travel over the summer months. The airport said it saw over 6 million passengers in June, recording a marked increase in traveller numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic.