The 62 destinations Etihad is flying to this summer from Abu Dhabi

With ICA approval no longer needed to fly into Abu Dhabi, here's where flights are headed in August and September

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Etihad plans to resume flights to Ahmedabad in India from September 1. Pictures courtesy Unsplash unless otherwise specified.

Flights to India's Bengaluru are set to resume on September 1.

Etihad is flying special services to Chennai throughout August, but will restart its regular service to the Indian city on September 1.

Colombo, Sri Lanka. Courtesy Shangri-La Hotels

Etihad is operating special flights to India's Hyderabad in August and will resume regular flights on September 1. 

Islamabad, Pakistan. Passengers travelling from Pakistan must follow new travel regulations including downloading the UAE Al Hosn app before flying. 

Karachi, Pakistan. Magnitt releases Pakistan start-up funding report, as the data platform expands beyond Mena. 

Special flights are operating to India's Kochi in August, with regular flights from September 1.

Flights to Kolkata, India are set to resume on September 1.

Etihad will fly to Kozhikode, India from September 1. 

Lahore, Pakistan. Courtesy pxfuel

The Maldives are open to travellers. 

Special flights are operating to Mumbai, India in August with regular flights set to start on September 1. 

Special flights are operating to New Delhi throughout August with regular flights to the Indian city scheduled to resume September 1.   

Flights to India's Thiruvananthapuram are scheduled from September 1. 

ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA: Flights to Baku in Azerbaijan resume September 1. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Bangkok, Thailand. 

Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Manila, the Philippines. 

Melbourne (outbound flights only until August 31), Australia.   

Seoul, South Korea. 

Shanghai, China is the latest destination that Etihad is flying to with flights resuming on August 24. 

Singapore. 

Sydney, Australia.

Tokyo, Japan. 

EUROPE: Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Athens, Greece. 

Barcelona, Spain. 

Belgrade, Serbia. 

Brussels, Belgium. 

Travel is open, but a two-week quarantine period is in place in Ireland.

Dusseldorf, Germany. Courtesy Kat Pilger / Wikimedia Commons

Frankfurt, Germany. 

Geneva, Switzerland. 

Etihad will fly to Istanbul, Turkey from September 1. 

Travellers flying to London must quarantine for two weeks.

Madrid, Spain. Wikimedia Commons

Manchester, UK. 

Milan, Italy. 

Minsk, Belarus. 

Etihad will resume flights to Moscow in Russia from September 1.

Munich, Germany. 

Paris, France. 

Rome, Italy. 

Zurich, Switzerland.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA: Amman, Jordan. Flights are scheduled to resume on September 1.

Manama, Bahrain.

Beirut, Lebanon. 

Foreigners need a Covid-19 test to travel to most places in Egypt. 

Emirates will resume flights to Casablanca in Morocco from September 18.  

Etihad plans to fly to Damman, Saudi Arabia from September 1 pending government approval. 

Etihad will fly to Saudi Arabia's Jeddah from September 1, pending approval. 

Kuwait City, Kuwait. 

Flights to neighbouring Muscat in Oman are scheduled to resume on September 1. 

The airline will fly to Rabat, Morocco from September 10. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Etihad plans to resume flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on September 1.

The Seychelles is open to travellers from select countries.

NORTH AMERICA: Chicago, USA.

New York, USA. 

Toronto, Canada. 

Washington DC, USA. 

Etihad Airways is set to fly to 62 destinations in August and September.

The national airline of the UAE is ramping up its network this summer with flights to destinations across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Shanghai is the latest destination to be added to Etihad's network, which from Tuesday, September 1, will include flights to destinations including India and Saudi Arabia, subject to the lifting of travel restrictions.

You can see the full list of places Etihad is flying to in the slideshow above.

With ICA approval no longer needed for UAE residents flying into Abu Dhabi, the thought of taking a trip is perhaps a little less fraught with uncertainty.

If you want to squeeze in a last-minute summer holiday to somewhere exotic, Etihad is flying to the Maldives and the Seychelles, and both archipelagos are welcoming tourists.

If you've been putting off travelling home because you were not sure if you'd be able to return, now might be a good time to start planning that trip. With flights from Abu Dhabi to the UK, the US, India, the Philippines, Pakistan and more, a family reunion could be closer than you think.

Of course, it's important to remember that not all of the destinations that Etihad is flying to are open to tourists.

Many countries are only accepting nationals or those with valid visas, and travellers need to carefully check the entry requirements of the country before booking a flight.

In some destinations where travel is open to foreigners, such as the UK and Ireland, there are lengthy quarantine periods in place, meaning you might need to make your trip an extra long one if you want to visit.

Travellers can submit their passport number and Emirates ID number on the ICA's smart services website, to receive instant verification of entry status before booking any flights.

Coronavirus tests and in-flight face masks

No matter your destination, you'll need to get a Covid-19 test before you board any Etihad flight.

Typically, this needs to be taken a maximum of 96 hours ahead of your departure time, but it can change depending on your destination. You can check the latest updates for your destination here. Etihad also offers travellers the chance to take the test at home, as part of its partnership with Mediclinic.

All flights in the network are operating with Etihad's new safety procedures, which include complimentary wellness kits for travellers containing face masks, gloves and hand sanitisers, as well as PPE uniforms for crew and reduced food and beverage services to limit interaction.

At Abu Dhabi International Airport and on your flight, you'll find Etihad's Wellness Ambassadors. These specially trained staff are on hand to answer any health-related queries you may have and give advice on staying safe during your trip. There's also plenty of new technology in place at the airport to help keep everyone safe, including contactless check-in points, touchless elevators and thermal scanners.

All travellers flying to the UAE need to take a Covid-19 test before they can board a flight, so if you're planning to travel, it makes sense to look at where you will be able to do this in the destination you want to visit.

A change of travel plans

If you book a flight with Etihad and then your plans change, you have a few options.

Flights booked before August 31 for travel any time until November 30 can be changed free of charge.

If you cancel your trip and opt to save it for later as Etihad Credit, you can use the credit to travel any time before October 31, 2021 and you'll also get some bonus Etihad guest miles.

Another option is to rebook your trip for a new date, or change the destination if you need to with no fare difference to pay if you travel within the same Etihad zone.

Keeping your ticket open is an option if your flight gets cancelled. The airline will keep cancelled tickets open until October 31, 2021. If you haven’t used your open ticket within 12 months of your cancelled flight, you can instead request a refund.

Travellers who booked via a travel agent need to coordinate any ticket changes through the agency, rather than with the airline.