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Some UAE-based airlines continue to add more special fights as they gear up for an eventual restart to operations following weeks of lockdowns, but it remains unclear when the first regular inbound and outbound flights will resume.
Etihad Airways and Emirates have confirmed with Zawya that they have not yet fixed the dates for the resumption of regular services in and out of the UAE. Both airlines continue to operate special flights only for the repatriation of visitors and expatriates wishing to go back to their home countries.
“We will not be resuming flights on May 16,” Etihad told Zawya on Wednesday.
Emirates did confirm that some of its flights are currently available for booking from May 1, but it can’t guarantee that there won’t be any cancellations or changes.
“The situation still remains dynamic and we’re closely monitoring the situation. We hope to announce any service resumption when we are in a position to do so,” a spokesperson told Zawya on Sunday.
On March 24, the UAE government suspended passenger flights at Dubai International and Dubai World Central. Excluded from the ban are a few repatriation flights, as well as cargo operations.
Dubai Airports, which owns and manages Dubai International and Dubai World Central, has recently announced that it is preparing to resume operations once the coronavirus lockdowns are lifted.
If airline services do return anytime soon, the restart will be done in phases, with the domestic flights reopening first, followed by regional, continental and intercontinental flights, Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had said. The official said it is unlikely that airlines will be able to return to full operations before the end of the year.
The good news, however, is that routes serving huge expatriate markets like India are expected to recover rather more quickly, according to Brian Pearce, IATA’s chief economist.
Hell Al Marri, director-general of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, hinted on Tuesday that Dubai could start welcoming tourists in July.
To encourage people to fly again, airlines have introduced several measures, such a social distancing aboard passenger flights and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among cabin crew members.
(Writing by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria)
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