<span style="color: #222222;">Etihad Airways has announced to suspend operations through Iranian airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. <br />''<br />''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.<br />''<br />''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.<br />''<br />''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.<br />''<br />''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.<br />''<br />''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.<br />''<br />''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.</span><br />