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Emirates to resume flights to three Australian cities

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Photo: Emirates/Twitter

Photo: Emirates/Twitter

Dubai - The flights were suspended temporarily following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Published: Sun 24 Jan 2021, 12:34 PM

Updated: Sun 24 Jan 2021, 12:37 PM

Emirates has said it will resume passenger flights to three Australian cities — Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — from this week.

The flights were suspended temporarily following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.


Flights to Sydney will resume from January 25, to Melbourne from January 26, and to Brisbane from January 28. Passenger flights to Perth, as well as cargo operations to all Australian points, continue as scheduled.

“The pandemic has made international flying incredibly challenging, and the dynamic restrictions and requirements implemented by the different state authorities in Australia had added complexity and burden to our operations. This led us to temporarily suspend passenger services while we engaged with various stakeholders regarding crew protocols and other operational details,” the Dubai-based carrier said in a statement.

"Following this engagement, we’ve made the decision to resume services with adjustments to our operations, so that we can continue serving our customers,” it added.

All of Emirates crew operating on Australian flights were already mandated to take a PCR test 48 hours prior to the scheduled flight departure from Dubai.

“With the latest adjustments, these tests will be administered in their homes, and our crew will also observe self-quarantine in their homes from the moment of testing until their flight. Combined with the hotel quarantine and tests on arrival in Australia, this effectively means that our crew are in a “bubble” from 48 hours before their flight, until they return to Dubai. This is an added burden for our crew as individuals, for our rostering, and operating costs, and therefore this decision was made after careful review and consideration,” said the airline.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com



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