After being largely grounded since March 25, 2020, Emirates is planning to get back in the air with scheduled commercial services. Emirates has been operating a limited schedule through April 2020, however, these flights only took passengers out of Dubai and not bring them into Dubai, so more like repatriation flights.
Emirates to resume scheduled flights on May 21
Now, Emirates has announced its plans to operate scheduled flight services from May 21 to nine destinations across Europe, North America and Australia:
- London Heathrow
- Frankfurt
- Paris
- Milan
- Madrid
- Chicago
- Toronto
- Sydney
- Melbourne.
The airline will also offer connections in Dubai for customers travelling between the UK and Australia. Emirates will offer these flights for booking on Emirates.com.
Passengers will only be accepted on these flights if they comply with the eligibility and entry criteria requirements of their destination countries. This includes approval from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) for UAE residents who wish to return to Dubai. Flights will be operated with the Boeing 777 fleet of Emirates, as the A380 aircraft continue to be stored at the moment at the two Dubai Airports (DXB and DWC).
Health and safety at Dubai Airport and onboard Emirates
At Dubai International airport, customers and employees will have their temperatures checked via thermal scanners. Protective barriers have been installed at check-in counters to provide additional safety during interactions. Gloves and masks are mandatory for all customers and employees at the airport. Social distancing protocols will also be implemented. At this airport, this includes physical indicators being placed on the ground and at waiting areas in the airport to ensure travellers maintain a safe distance.
In addition, Emirates’ cabin crew, boarding agents and ground staff who interact directly with travellers will don personal protective equipment (PPE) including a protective disposable gown and safety visor.
For health and safety reasons and to minimise interaction on-board, Emirates will offer a modified in-flight service that focuses on reducing contact and infection risk. Magazines and print reading material will not be available during this time. Cabin baggage has to be checked-in, and customers can only bring essential items such as a laptop, handbag, briefcase or baby items on board.
Bottomline
As of May 21, Emirates will resume scheduled air service to nine destinations in Australia, North America and Europe. With this, for the first time, there will be services offered via/to/fro Dubai International airport which has been only used for repatriation flights for a while. I do expect more services to be added in the days ahead.
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