Readers trying to open the popular aviation blog One Mile at a Time from inside the United Arab Emirates are hitting a blank page. The site's founder says it has been blocked by at least some local network providers — Etisalat users appear to be the most affected — and he has no doubt about why.
The trouble started with a post about the abrupt departure of Etihad's Chief Commercial Officer, Arik De. That article drew hundreds of comments from current and former airline staff describing what the blogger calls a deeply toxic workplace culture, allegedly driven by senior expatriate managers. He then published a follow-up, and says he received a flood of messages from employees, including very senior ones, sharing further damaging details. According to him, the posts circulated widely inside the company, and some commenters asked him to delete what they had written, claiming managers were trying to identify who said what.
The blogger is careful to draw a line between the airline's leadership and the country itself. He stresses his criticism targets the management team rather than the UAE, and praises the many dedicated Etihad employees — including Emiratis — he says keep the airline running well. He also notes he has long been a fan of Etihad's product and plans to keep covering the airline fairly, block or no block.
Whether or not the block is officially confirmed, the timing is telling: criticism of a flagship national company now appears to make a travel site unreachable on at least one major Emirati network. The writer says he has no regrets, won't be silenced, and points out he's been publishing for over 18 years.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: if you rely on flight review blogs while in the UAE, don't assume everything loads. Sites critical of local companies can be inaccessible on some networks, and a VPN may be the only reliable way to read them. It's also a reminder that Etihad — despite polished cabins and marketing — is currently dealing with a wave of damaging internal allegations, something frequent flyers might weigh alongside seat maps and lounge access. The story also puts a spotlight on how much pressure airline staff say they work under, which matters to anyone who cares about how the industry treats its people.
Story via One Mile at a Time.
