UAE’s airlines suspends operations over Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman

In a statement, Etihad, the national airline of the UAE said, "Following the decision yesterday of the US Federal Aviation Administration to restrict US airline operations in Iranian-controlled airspace, Etihad Airways consulted closely with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and other UAE airlines to evaluate the US action."

"Etihad Airways has subsequently suspended operations through Iranian airspace over the Straits of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, and will use alternative flight paths on a number of routes to and from Abu Dhabi until further notice," it added.

The airline said that these changes will cause delays on some departures from Abu Dhabi, "due to increased congestion in available airspace, and will increase journey times on some routes."

The safety of our passengers and staff is the highest priority for Etihad Airways assured, adding that it is "continually engaging with regulatory authorities and conducting our own risk assessments to ensure that our standards are not compromised."

Updates on affected flights will be provided on the Etihad Airways website, the statement concluded.

Dubai-based airlines Emirates Airline and flydubai said Friday that in light of the current situation, Emirates and flydubai has taken precautionary measures including rerouting all flights away from areas of possible conflict.

Emirates Spokesman said in a statement, "We are carefully monitoring the ongoing developments and are in close contact with the relevant government authorities with regards to our flight operations, and will make further operational changes if the need arises."

The re-routings have minimally affected the arrival/departure timings of some flights, and we urge customers to check the latest schedules on emirates.com , so they can be informed of any flight changes. As always, the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority and will not be compromised, he concluded.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, issued an emergency order on Thursday prohibiting U.S. air carriers from flying in Iran-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman due to heightened tensions.

Some international airlines are taking precautions following the FAA order.