Etihad and Emirates flights resume

Both Emirates and Etihad Airways started operating flights across Europe and the UK as airports begin to reopen across the region. Etihad Airways chief executive officer, James Hogan, said that while the news was good, airspace closures were still unpredictable and the backlog of passengers would be significant. "We are doing everything in our power to have our passengers flying without delay, but passengers should not yet expect that their flight will run to schedule," Mr Hogan said. "We encourage customers to check our website for their flight status, or contact us on our dedicated 24 hour customer assistance lines if flying to these destinations." Mr Hogan said that since last night, the airline had recommenced its scheduled services to London, Paris, Brussels, and Geneva, and would continue to operate services to these destinations, subject to the airports remaining open. He added: "Bookings for passengers currently in transit, and UAE residents around the world will be priority for the airline as services are reintroduced. "Our staff will be communicating directly with those that are in accommodation in Abu Dhabi and other cities to advise them of their updated travel plans, once available." Mr Hogan said more than 1,500 passengers had departed from Abu Dhabi since yesterday to reach their final destination. "We have done everything possible to ensure our customers have been well looked after during their stay in Abu Dhabi, and we thank our passengers for their patience during this difficult period," he said. Emirates has resumed flights into the UK and Germany for those with confirmed bookings.   The airline is operating flights into the UK airports of Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow as well as other European locations such as France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Greece, Turkey, Malta, Cyprus and Russia.   Flights to and from Germany continue to experience disruption and may be re-routed.   The airline has been losing approximately $10 million a day because of the disruption. Around 100,000 passengers have been affected. For Etihad flight updates visit www.etihadairways.com. For Emirates flight updates visit www.emirates.com