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UAE-based Emirates airline will resume services for some passenger flights starting next week, about 14 days since the government temporarily suspended air traffic to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chief executive of the airline, said the resumption of operations will take effect from April 6, but only a limited number of flights will be allowed.
“These flights will initially carry travellers outbound from the UAE,” the official said on Twitter.
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the announcement with Zawya, adding that more details regarding the destinations will be announced next week.
Emirates, along with other airlines in the UAE, had earlier shut down all inbound, outbound and transit flights following a directive from authorities, as part of precautionary measures to combat the pandemic.
The highly contagious virus has now spread to every continent in the world, infecting close to a million people as of Thursday. The pandemic has shaken not only the healthcare systems but the global economy as well, with the supply chains disrupted and productions and business activities halted amid heightened quarantine measures.
Emirates has been among the hardest hit since the coronavirus erupted in China in late December. It has asked its tens of thousands of staff, including cabin crew and pilots, to take unpaid leave, and rolled out company-wide salary cuts of up to 50 percent.
“As a global network airline, we find ourselves in a situation where we cannot viable operate passenger service until countries re-open their borders and travel confidence returns,” Al Maktoum had said at the announcement of the wage reductions.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) had appealed for governments in the Middle East and Africa region to provide emergency support, to save carriers from folding up.
It is estimated that in the UAE alone, companies in the air transport industry could lose some $2.8 billion in revenues, while more than 163,000 jobs are at risk.
On Tuesday, the Dubai government said it would extend financial aid to Emirates, to help the UAE-based carrier weather the health crisis.
(Reporting by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria)
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