Fears of Abu Dhabi airport chaos dismissed

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FEARS DISMISSED: Etihad said Abu Dhabi airport's closure will not cause major problems as passengers are well informed. (Supplied)

Etihad Airways on Monday dismissed fears of passenger chaos during Tuesday’s 12-hour closure of Abu Dhabi airport and said it is employing extra staff to ensure passengers are aware of changes in its schedule.

Etihad media relations officer Tom Clarke said that “the situation will be pretty busy” but added that the airline has been able to talk to a large number of passengers within a short period of time.

An additional 50 people will be working at the airport on Monday night to keep travellers informed of the changes, he said.

A total of 7,500 Etihad passengers will be affected by the closure of the runway at Abu Dhabi airport at 2:15am on Tuesday after an abrasion was found in the tarmac.

The airport is a major hub for transfers between Europe and the Far East and passengers transferring will be escorted off their planes by staff who will take them to their gates.

Special teams will then distribute drinks, blankets and kids’ packs, Clarke said.

Andrew Chupeau, senior media officer at Abu Dhabi Airports Co (ADAC), said the company is hopeful that the maintenance work will take less than 12 hours to carry out and that passengers worried about their flight should contact the airline they are travelling with.

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