Etihad Airways has announced to suspend operations through Iranian airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.

In a statement yesterday, the national airline of the UAE said that following the decision 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.

It said, 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.

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.

It said the safety of its passengers and staff is the highest priority for Etihad Airways. The statement concluded that s on affected flights will be provided on the Etihad Airways website.

Earlier, Emirates Airlines had also announced re-routing of its air routes due to increasing tension in the Gulf region after an unmanned US drone was shot down by Iran earlier in the week.

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.