Etihad Airways has announced the launch of flights to the holy city of Madinah from November 27. Madinah will be served three times weekly from Abu Dhabi using a modern two-class Airbus A321.
Fatma Al Mehairi, Vice President Sales UAE at Etihad Airways, said: “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.”
The service has been timed to provide religious, leisure and business travelers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with convenient flight options as well as connect seamlessly to major cities in the Indian Subcontinent and Asia for those traveling to and from Madinah through Abu Dhabi, the airline said.
Located in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, Madinah is a three-hour flight from Abu Dhabi. The city is home to Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque and burial site and an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims. The country’s two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah are allowing full-capacity attendance for worshippers who are fully vaccinated following an easing of restrictions earlier in October 2021.
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 following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Guests flying to Madinah are not required to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated with either two doses of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, or have received two doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac plus one dose of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna.
Travelers can fly with complete peace of mind thanks to the Etihad Wellness programme, which includes complimentary Covid-19 insurance for all passengers, valid for travel until March 31, 2022, it said.
