Etihad Airways has temporarily cancelled flights from Abu Dhabi to Madinah in Saudi Arabia.
Travellers booked to fly to the kingdom's holy city from the UAE capital will no longer be able to, as the airline has paused flights between the destinations until the end of March.
The decision has been made because of “operational reasons”, said a representative for the UAE’s national airline.
“Etihad regrets to advise that passenger services between Abu Dhabi and Madinah have been cancelled until March 28, 2022, due to operational reasons.
"Our teams are actively reaching out to affected travellers to provide them with alternative travel options or full refunds,” said the Etihad representative.
Travellers who purchased flight tickets for the route via a travel agent should contact their agency directly for assistance on rebooking and refunds.
The airline also apologised for the inconvenience caused to guests by the operational change.
Located in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, Madinah is a three-hour flight from Abu Dhabi.
The city is home to the Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque and burial site and is an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims.
Etihad resumed thrice-weekly flights to the city in November last year, making it the airline’s fourth destination in the kingdom after Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh.
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