Travel plans further put on hold

Emirates Airline will not be resuming normal passenger flights until the second half of the year.

Their new updated schedule details regular flights will return to normal in July at the earliest.

While the Dubai airline was set to relaunch normal passenger flights next month, it appears reservations for all flights between May 15 and June 30 have now been suspended.

However, as the COVID-19 situation is ever-evolving, things may change.

The airline is currently offering limited flights from Dubai to London, Frankfurt, Tunis, Jakarta, Chicago, Taipei, Algiers, Manila and Kabul, in order to repatriate residents and visitors to return to their home countries.

Meanwhile, Emirates also recently announced it is putting more measures in place to protect its employees and customers alike against the coronavirus outbreak.

All staff members who come into contact with passengers – this includes cabin crew, boarding agents and ground staff  – will now be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) to wear. As well as gloves and a face mask, PPE includes a protective disposable gown to wear over uniforms and a safety visor.

The announcement of further protection methods against COVID-19 comes after Emirates revealed they would now be conducting rapid on-site coronavirus tests for passengers. The tests are conducted in coordination with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and results are are available within 10 minutes.

As part of other precautions being taken by Emirates, the airline’s check-in and boarding processes have also been altered with barriers added to check-in desks. Similarly, all passengers must wear masks when in the airport and on-board flights. There are also currently no magazines or print material available, and food and beverage services have been altered to minimise interactions.

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Feature Image: Sara Shakeel Instagram