DUBAI, UAE, 7 April 2020: Emirates has received approvals to carry passengers on certain flights to Europe from its home-base in Dubai.
Effective 6 Monday, April, the first flights departed from Dubai to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels and Zurich, with four flights a week to London Heathrow, and three flights a week to the other cities. Passengers sales are limited to the outbound flights from Dubai
Operating from Dubai International airport Terminal 2 until further notice, these flights will only carry outbound passengers from the UAE.
The lowest fare Dubai-London (LNR) quoted by the airline’s website starts at AED2,500 or USD700.32.
Although not applicable right now, if you try to book a roundtrip fare the earliest date option for the return leg to Dubai appears to be 30 May when a roundtrip fare Dubai-London fare is quoted at AED2,735 or USD744). That suggests the airline remains hopeful that bookings both ways could resume in late May or possibly in June.
Under the present arrangement Emirates will carry belly-hold cargo in both directions, supporting trade and communities with the transport of essential goods.
Emirates airline and group chairman and chief executive HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “These initial passenger services, although limited to travellers who meet the entry requirements set by the destination countries, will be welcomed by our customers seeking to return home to their countries and families.
While we hope to resume full operations as soon as possible, we acknowledge the challenges faced by many cities in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.”
He added: “Our network can only be restored with the easing of travel restrictions, and we maintain close contact with all authorities for the latest updates. We are working closely with the authorities to resume our services, keeping in mind the safety and wellbeing of our crew and customers at every step of the journey.
We continuously review the situation and will announce any additional services as they become available.”
Emirates will operate its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on these routes, offering seats in Business and Economy class. Flights can be booked by eligible passengers on www.emirates.com.
Travel restrictions are in place at these destinations, and travellers are urged to check entry criteria before they fly.
For health and safety reasons, Emirates will operate a modified inflight service programme.
Magazines and other print reading material will not be available, and while food and beverages will continue to be offered onboard, packaging and presentation will be modified to reduce contact during meal service.
Emirates’ Lounge and Chauffeur Drive services are unavailable during this period.
All Emirates aircraft will go through enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes in Dubai, after each journey.
