Emirates to cover quarantine, coronavirus-related medical costs for passengers

Dubai

EMIRATES, the largest airline in the Middle East, will cover customers' coronavirus-related medical costs in a bid to "boost travel confidence", said the Dubai Media Office.

"Emirates will cover its passengers for Covid-19 related medical expenses and quarantine costs when they travel on board Emirates, to and from the UAE and around the world, free of charge," the emirate's media office said in a statement.

In a statement on Friday, the airlines said this offer will be free for its customers regardless of travel class or destination.

The Dubai-based carrier, which operates a fleet of 270 wide-bodied aircraft, halted operations in late March as part of global shutdowns to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Two weeks later, it resumed operations on a limited network and plans to fly to 58 cities by mid-August, down from over 150 before the crisis.

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The announcement came shortly after the United Arab Emirates - an alliance of seven emirates including the capital Abu Dhabi and Dubai - made testing mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers starting Aug 1, according to state media.

"Emirates will be the first airline to offer free cover for Covid-19 medical costs for customers when they travel to & from UAE & around the world," Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates group chairman and chief executive, said on Twitter.

"This will boost travel confidence and once again positions Emirates and Dubai as aviation industry leaders."

Passengers can claim up to 150,000 euros (S$241,339) in medical expenses and up to 100 euros per day for 14 days in quarantine costs, should they be diagnosed with the disease, the Dubai Media Office statement said.

"We know people are yearning to fly as borders around the world gradually re-open, but they are seeking flexibility and assurances should something unforeseen happen during their travel," Mr Sheikh Ahmed said in the airline statement.

The policy will go into immediate effect and remain in place until Oct 31 this year. It is valid for 31 days from the moment an Emirates passenger flies the first sector of the journey.

The carrier's president Tim Clark has said that it could take up to four years for operations to return to "some degree of normality", and the airline could lay off up to 15 per cent of its staff.

Before the pandemic crisis hit, Emirates employed around 60,000 staff, including 4,300 pilots and nearly 22,000 cabin crew, according to its annual report. The airline reported a bumper 21 per cent rise in annual profits in March. AFP