Abu Dhabi resumes visa on arrival services

Abu Dhabi's national airline Etihad Airways said tourists and visitors eligible for a visa on arrival can now enter Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), after the service was halted for nearly eight months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This raises the prospect of increased air travel and jet fuel demand.

The resumption of visa on arrival services should support the tourism sector in the country. Etihad recorded a 99pc drop in passenger numbers in this year's second quarter compared with a year earlier as a result of Covid-19 related flight suspensions.

Passenger flights in and out of AUH were suspended in late March in line with the Abu Dhabi government's efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19. But special repatriation flights have been operating since April. A ban on transit flights through AUH and all UAE airports was lifted on 10 June.

Only UAE nationals, residents and non-residents that are eligible for a visa on arrival can enter Abu Dhabi, according to the airline. But the UAE's federal authority for identity and citizenship said that it resumed issuing various visas in the UAE, including tourist visas, starting from 24 September.

Etihad said yesterday that passengers travelling to AUH will still have to follow quarantine procedures.

The return of jet fuel demand in the Mideast Gulf has kept prices steady, with the jet fuel premium to Mideast Gulf spot assessments averaging $0.56/bl so far this month compared with an average of $0.57/bl last month.

By Sarah Raffoul