Update: Abu Dhabi’s Etihad asks cabin crew to take paid leave

According to an internal email seen by Reuters, Abu Dhabi airline has reportedly asked its cabin crew to take paid leave between April 6-May 5.

A spokesman for Etihad confirmed the following statement to Gulf Business: “Etihad Airways has asked cabin crew members to consider bringing forward paid leave from later this year to April, due to changed demand caused by the Covid-19 virus.”

Read: Dubai’s Emirates offers leave to staff as virus saps demand for travel

Airlines across the world are seeing a significant reduction in flights to destinations, specifically China, in light of the global coronavirus outbreak.

The Etihad spokesperson while reaffirming that the airline hadn’t asked staff to take unpaid leave, added: “Global restrictions on travel and retiming of events have caused many passengers to change their travel arrangements, and the airline is among many realigning resources to accommodate these changes.”

Read: Coronavirus impact: Emirates makes operational changes, steps up aircraft cleaning

On Sunday, Emirates Airline reportedly asked its staff to go on voluntary paid or unpaid leave as a result of “a measurable slow-down in business across our brands, and a need for flexibility in the way we work.”

The Etihad email to its cabin crew meanwhile adds, “This is a great opportunity to take some time out or rest, relax and celebrate with family and friends. Leave slots will be available…in blocks of six, 12, or 18 days.”

Read: UAE confirms six new coronavirus cases; total tallies 27

There were six new coronavirus cases reported in the UAE on Tuesday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country up to 27.