Etihad Airways is preparing for a boost in travel to and from Abu Dhabi following the removal of quarantine requirements for all vaccinated travellers arriving from abroad.
Fully vaccinated travellers (with vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation) can arrive from all international destinations without the need to quarantine.
All travellers will require a PCR test within 48 hours of departure, a test on arrival and retesting on select days depending on the country they have travelled from.
Unvaccinated travellers, however, should follow the rules according to the destination they are arriving from.
Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer, Etihad, commented: “The news is perfectly timed to begin welcoming the world back to Abu Dhabi.
“We expect a huge surge in demand from tourists and visiting friends and relatives from around the world.
“This will also give UAE residents greater flexibility and peace of mind when travelling globally.”
He added: “The emirate has delivered one of the world’s best public health programmes to protect the population with an extremely high vaccination rate, and smart technologically-driven solutions such as the Al Hosn app to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.
“This is a huge step forward as the UAE prepares to host the EXPO 2020, the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and many more global events over the coming months.”
Flying with Etihad is supported by the Etihad Wellness programme which has been introduced to help limit the spread of Covid-19.
The carrier requires 100 per cent of its passengers to show a negative PCR test before boarding to protect the inflight environment, which is now recognised to be one of the best in the world.