Etihad Airways says fog-hit flight schedule almost back to normal

While most passengers have flown on to their destinations, the airline says hundreds have arrived without their baggage

ABU DHABI // After two days of major disruptions to its flights, Etihad Airways said on Saturday that normal service had almost resumed at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

But the airline confirmed that although most passengers had arrived at their destinations, many were missing their baggage.

A spokesman said: “The priority over the last 48 hours has been to allow passengers to continue their journey as quickly as possible. This has resulted in several hundred bags being misconnected.

“The airline continues to do everything possible to ensure all misconnected baggage at Abu Dhabi International Airport is returned to passengers in the coming 36 hours.”

The problems began on Thursday morning, when dense fog and a technical problem at the airport meant that 42 flights were cancelled and 37 others were diverted to other places in the region.

About 6,600 passengers were affected by the delays, with many taking to social media to complain about the situation.

On Saturday the airline confirmed there had been no cancelled flights during the previous 24 hours, although it warned there could be a number of delays as the backlog of passengers was dealt with.

It also said 500 guests who missed their onward connections had been put up in hotels overnight on Friday.

The company once again apologised for the problems.

“The delays were due to the failure of the runway landing systems at Abu Dhabi International Airport during dense fog on Thursday. These circumstances were beyond Etihad Airways’ control and we would once again like to apologise for the disruption and inconvenience experienced,” the spokesman said.

“The airline is working around the clock to restore normal scheduled services and ensure that all affected passengers and their bags reach their final destination.”

Etihad promised free flights and guest miles to passengers affected by the delays.

Passengers were advised to visit the website at www.etihad.com or contact the company on 02 599 0000 for more information on the status of flights in and out of Abu Dhabi Airport.