Etihad Airways suspends its flight operation in Saudi Arabia

New Delhi : Etihad Airways on Monday announced that they have temporarily suspended their flight operations in Saudi Arabia amid coronavirus scare.

The move comes in response to a directive from the General Authority for Civil Aviation of the Kingdom to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Releasing a statement, the airlines announced that it has cancelled all its seven flights between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina.

After the flights landed in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, the Saudi Passengers were allowed to get off the plane rest of the passengers were taken back to Abu Dhabi.

"Etihad Airways is working closely with regulatory authorities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and is continuing to monitor this situation closely," it said.

The passengers who have suffered due to the sudden decision are eligible for fare refund or rescheduling in other flights when the services will be resumed.

Earlier today, Riyadh reported a total of 11 confirmed cases of viral infection. Most of them were the people returning from a religious pilgrimage to Iran.

The coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, last December and has now spread to more than 100 countries across the globe. The global death toll is nearing 3,800, with more than 103,000 confirmed cases.