Etihad to restart flights between Abu Dhabi and Madinah in Saudi Arabia

Etihad Airways has announced that it will restart direct flights to Madinah in Saudi Arabia starting November 27, 2021.

The thrice weekly flights will be operated every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The flight will depart from Abu Dhabi at 10.40am and land in Madinah at 12.40pm, while the return flight will depart from Madinah at 4.05pm and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 7.25pm.

The carrier has confirmed that the flights will carried out using a two-class Airbus A321.

Madinah 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 arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Madinah is home to Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque and burial site and is an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims.

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

The country’s two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah are allowing full-capacity attendance for worshippers who are fully vaccinated.

“We look forward to reconnecting Abu Dhabi with Madinah, 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, a key travel market for Etihad Airways,” said Fatma Al Mehairi, vice president sales UAE at Etihad Airways.