Watch: Etihad on why grounding a jet is nothing like parking a car – The National

Watch: Etihad on why grounding a jet is nothing like parking a car – The National

At midnight on Tuesday, March 24, skies across the UAE fell quiet after authorities announced the suspension of passenger flights in and out of the country.. The national airline of the UAE has released a behind-the-scenes look at what it means to have more than 80 per cent of its fleet parked at Abu Dhabi International Airport.. The video explains that Etihad's engineers are working around the clock to maintain the aircraft.. "It's not like parking a car, we have to keep them [the aircraft] maintained," says Byrne.. In the video, some aircraft are being inspected in the hangars at Etihad's home base.. In the video, staff can be seen checking and repairing seats and in-flight entertainment screens, shampooing cabin carpets and washing and ironing soft furnishings like seat covers.. So far, the airline has replaced 10,000 seat and back rest covers and has teams of 200 working during each shift on its cabin refresh programme.. "When our aircraft go back into service, for the passenger it will be like getting on to a brand new aircraft," adds Byrne.. Passenger flights in and out of the UAE are currently grounded until April 21, with exemptions for select repatriation flights..