• Emirates will offer cargo capacity free of charge to NGOs, to ship relief items on all its flights from Dubai to nine cities in India
• Airbridge initiative is a major boost from Emirates, supporting the various relief efforts undertaken by the humanitarian community
• In co-ordination with the International Humanitarian City (IHC), first flights carrying WHO cargo departs from Dubai to India

Emirates has set up a humanitarian airbridge between Dubai and India to transport urgent medical and relief items, to support India in its fight to control the serious COVID-19 situation in the country.

Emirates will offer cargo capacity free of charge on an “as available” basis on all of its flights to nine cities in India, to help international NGOs deliver relief supplies rapidly to where it is needed.

In the past weeks, Emirates SkyCargo has already been transporting medicines and medical equipment on scheduled and charter cargo flights to India. This latest airbridge initiative takes Emirates’ support for India and for the NGO community to the next level.

The freight division of Emirates has a close partnership with IHC, developed over several years of delivering relief materials to communities across the world impacted by natural disasters and other crises. IHC will support Emirates SkyCargo in channelling relief efforts to India through the airbridge.

Following the Port of Beirut blasts in August 2020, Emirates also leveraged its expertise in humanitarian logistics to set up an airbridge to Lebanon to assist with relief efforts.

Emirates has led the aviation and air cargo industry in its efforts to help markets around the world combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The air cargo carrier has helped transport thousands of tonnes of urgently required PPE and other medical supplies across six continents over the last year by rapidly adapting its business model and introducing additional cargo capacity through its modified mini freighters with seats removed from Economy Class on Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft along with loading cargo on seats and in overhead bins inside passenger aircraft to transport urgently required materials.

In addition, Emirates SkyCargo has partnered with UNICEF and other entities in Dubai through the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance, to transport COVID-19 vaccines rapidly to developing nations through Dubai. So far, close to 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been transported on Emirates’ flights, equating to nearly 1 in 20 of all COVID-19 vaccine doses administered around the world.

Through its scheduled cargo flights to close to 140 destinations across six continents, Emirates helps maintain unbroken supply chains for vital commodities such as medical supplies and food.

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From Reuters:

“Emirates may need to raise more cash this year, possibly through another equity injection from the Dubai government, if demand for air travel does not pick up soon, its president said on Wednesday.

The state carrier had hoped the global vaccine rollout would renew confidence in air travel but demand remains at very low levels, leaving many airlines to ground planes or fly them near-empty.

“We are good for another six, seven or eight months in terms of cash. We have sufficient cash coming in to be able to keep the day-to-day operation at a neutral basis,” Tim Clark told the online World Aviation Festival.

“But like everybody else, if in six months global demand is where it is today then we are all going to face difficulties. Not just Emirates”

Read the full article.

Emirates made this announcement:

Emirates’ one-of-a-kind flight EK2021 proudly made a journey across the different emirates on April 10, to celebrate the UAE’s remarkable progress in vaccinating its citizens and residents from COVID-19 through a national vaccination program that has administered close to 9 million vaccines doses to date.

The special flight, which carried fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboard, was unprecedented in the industry in scale. With close to 400 fully vaccinated customers onboard, the flight illustrates confidence and undiminished excitement for air travel.

EK2021 was also supported by fully vaccinated teams across the aviation ecosystem, from onboard crew to ground staff, demonstrating the readiness of the UAE’s aviation ecosystem to support the safe rebound of air travel.

In spite of the pandemic, the UAE has maintained its status as a leading global aviation hub and it will continue to grow its position as a hub for passengers and cargo traffic by investing in innovations and close collaborations with all stakeholders.

Onboard EK2021 was a group of senior officials from key aviation and health sector entities hosted by Emirates.

The UAE currently has one of the world’s highest rate of vaccinations for its citizens and residents at 90.22 doses per 100 people. The outstanding effort by the health authorities in the UAE has contributed to reaching the administration of close to 9 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

In parallel, the Emirates Group vaccination program rolled out to its UAE-based workforce less than three months ago, and since then has delivered COVID-19 shots to over 35,000 Emirates employees across its vaccination centers.

This flight was operated with Emirates’ newest Airbus A380 aircraft which featured the airline’s brand-new Premium Economy seats, and refreshed cabin interiors across every cabin class. First and Business Class customers were able to safely network and mingle in the iconic A380 Onboard Lounge. In addition, all customers enjoyed a full-course meal.

On the ground, passengers checked in using the latest biometric technologies for a seamless journey across multiple touch points. Biometric touch points were recently expanded to include over 18 check-in desks and 15 boarding gates at the airport. As a result, customers across all classes enjoyed seamless biometric entry to experience the First and Business Class lounge at DXB.

All EK2021 passengers were provided rapid COVID-19 PCR tests, facilitated by Pure Health. Pure Health, the largest integrated healthcare solutions provider in the UAE, has facilitated the administration of up to 4 million PCR tests at Dubai Airports to date. It has also played a vital role in providing COVID-19 testing support to the aviation industry at large, since the start of the pandemic.

After passengers checked in, they received the green ‘Choose to Vaccinate’ pin and took photos to mark the special event. All EK2021 customers who passed through immigration also received a bespoke ‘Choose to Vaccinate’ stamp on each boarding pass as an added keepsake.

As passengers disembarked, they were handed commemorative certificates for taking part in this initiative.

EK2021 was commanded by UAE National Captain Ahmed Al Obeidli, First Officer Ramon Wilde and flight deck crew were supported by Captain Ricky Garala. Earlier in the day, aviation entities across Dubai and the UAE were sending their messages of support on Twitter in advance of the special flight.

All proceeds for EK2021 have been donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation, the airline’s non-profit charity organization, which supports projects around the world aimed at improving the quality of life for disadvantaged children around the world.

Emirates has announced it will increase services to popular holiday destinations, Maldives and Seychelles, ahead of the Easter break. Starting 28 March, the airline will offer customers 28 weekly flights to Male, and seven weekly flights to Mahe. The added services will meet market demand and offer customers greater flexibility, choice and connectivity while planning their travels this Easter holiday.

Fly better with Emirates to Maldives

Emirates currently offers customers 24 weekly flights to the Maldives, utilizing a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Starting from March 28 until April 18, 2021, the airline will ramp up services to 28 flights a week – offering customers enhanced connectivity to the popular Indian Ocean destination, via Dubai.

All travelers to the Maldives, excluding Maldives citizens, must present a negative COVID‑19 PCR test result, conducted within 96 hours prior to departure. Travellers are also requested to complete the online Immigration and Health self‑declaration form within 24 hours prior to arrival.

Emirates has made this announcement:

Emirates’ Economy Class customers can now enjoy even more personal space and privacy onboard with the ability to purchase up to three empty adjoining seats on their flight.

These seats will be offered to all Economy Class customers holding a confirmed booking. Customers will not be able to pre-book empty seats, as these are subject to availability. Empty seats will only be offered for purchase at the airport check-in counter prior to flight departure, and costs range from AED 200 to AED 600 (US$ 55 to US$ 165) per empty seat, plus applicable taxes depending on flight sector.

Emirates has introduced this new seat product on the back of customer feedback, addressing the needs of a range of customers seeking extra privacy and space while still flying in Economy Class. This includes couples who wish to have the entire row to themselves (maximum of three seats in same row), parents traveling with in-lap infants, or those who simply want the added assurance of more space while traveling during pandemic times.

In addition to the new empty seats option, Emirates currently offers a variety of seat products for Economy Class customers to choose their favorite seat based on their travel needs:

• Extra legroom seats: exit row seats offering additional space but subject to safety requirements;
• Twin seats: seats in a row of two at the back of Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft, and on the upper deck of Emirates’ 2-class Airbus A380 aircraft;
• Preferred seats: seats in the first section of the cabin and on the upper deck of a two-class A380;
• Regular seats: all other Economy seats.

These seats, available via Emirates.com, Emirates contact centers, at airport check-in, onboard, and through travel agent partners, are offered for free or at a charge, depending on the customer’s Emirates Skywards membership tier, fare type, time to departure, and other special needs. Visit our page on emirates.com for more information.

Emirates has also introduced generous discounts on excess baggage rates, to help customers flying on essential trips take home what they need most.

These discounts range from 35% up to 60% off normal rates depending on sector and must be pre-booked and pre-paid up to 4 hours prior to flight departure via emirates.com, through contact centers or at an Emirates sales office.

Emirates has announced it will resume daily services to Newark via Athens from 1^st June 2021. The resumed flight will provide global travelers with another access point to the popular New York Metropolitan area, serving the large Greek-American community in the United States while offering a convenient connection to travelers headed towards the Middle East, West Asia, and Africa via Dubai.

The addition of Newark via Athens will take Emirates’ US network to 10 destinations following the resumption of services to Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Washington DC, Dallas and San Francisco (to resume on 2^nd March).

The Dubai-Athens-Newark flight will operate daily with a three-class Boeing 777-300ER, complementing Emirates’ double daily flights to New York (JFK) as the airline continues to expand across North America. The resumed link between Greece and the US will open up year round connectivity, facilitate trade, boost tourism and benefit consumers by providing them with choice and convenience. Emirates will also increase its flights to the Greek capital, Athens, flying daily to support the newly resumed service.

Emirates flight EK209 will depart Dubai at 1050hrs, arriving in Athens at 1500hrs before departing again at 1735hrs and arriving into Newark Liberty International Airport at 2120hrs on the same day. The return flight EK210 will depart Newark at 2355 hrs, arriving in Athens at 1605hrs the next day. EK210 will depart once again from Athens the next day at 1805hrs bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 2335 hrs (all times are local).

Emirates has safely and gradually restarted operations across its network. Since it safely resumed tourism activity in July, Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, especially during the winter season. The city is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences. It was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.

In other news, Emirates operated its first flight serviced by fully vaccinated frontline teams across all customer touch points.

The airline continued;

Honoring its commitment to the health and safety of its employees and customers, Emirates today has become among the first airlines in the world to operate a flight with fully vaccinated frontline teams servicing customers at every touchpoint of the travel journey.

This morning, the full airport and onboard customer experience for flight EK215, which departed Dubai at 0830hrs for Los Angeles, was safely supported by check-in, security, Business and First Class lounge and boarding gate employees, as well as engineers, pilots and cabin crew who made the choice to be fully vaccinated.

Also supporting the flight’s operations were fully vaccinated aircraft appearance, loading and special handling teams from dnata, as well as SkyCargo teams working on the cargo and logistics requirements for EK215.

The Emirates Group rolled out its vaccination drive at pace just over a month ago, and since then, close to 26,000, or 44%, of the Group’s UAE frontline aviation workforce have received both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Sinopharm vaccines.

Nearly 5,000 Cabin and Flight Deck Crew have opted to receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, thousands more Emirates Group employees in other roles have taken their COVID-19 vaccine through the company’s clinics and vaccination centers, while others have opted to take their vaccine at one of the many vaccination centers across the UAE.

The Emirates Group vaccination program is the latest in its series of safeguards and protections to deliver on its health and safety promises to its customers, employees and the communities it serves around the world. The Group’s vaccination centers have been running 12 hours a day, every day of the week to prioritize and provide aviation front liners with the vaccine.

Emirates has announced it will resume nonstop services to Seattle/Tacoma (from February 1, 2021), Dallas/Fort Worth and San Francisco (from March 2, 2021), offering its customers seamless connectivity via Dubai to and from popular destinations in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

The addition of these three destinations will take Emirates’ North American network to 10 destinations following the resumption of services to Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Toronto and Washington DC.

Flights to/from San Francisco will operate four times weekly on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER while flights to/from Seattle/Tacoma (operating four times weekly) and Dallas/Fort Worth (three times weekly) will be operated with the two-class Boeing 777-200LR, offering 38 lie-flat seats in Business and 264 ergonomically designed seats in Economy class.

The airline will also be providing its customers more options and choice with additional flights to New York , Los Angeles and São Paulo. Effective February 1, 2021, Emirates will be operating double daily flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and a daily flight to Los Angeles (LAX). Emirates customers also have seamless access to other US cities via the airline’s codeshare agreements with Jetblue and Alaskan Airlines.

In South America, Emirates will be introducing a fifth weekly flight to São Paulo (from February 5, 2021), offering customers in Brazil even more travel options with greater access to its expanding network. Beyond São Paulo, Emirates customers can enjoy seamless connectivity and access to 24 other cities in Brazil via the airline’s codeshare partnership with GOL and its interline agreements with Azul and LATAM.

Emirates has safely and gradually restarted operations across its network and currently serves 114 destinations on six continents.

Emirates has made this announcement:

Emirates is taking its signature A380 experience to the next level with the unveil of a brand new Premium Economy cabin product, together with enhancements and a refreshed look across all cabins onboard its newest A380 aircraft.

The airline received its newest A380 aircraft from Airbus’ Hamburg facility last week, and its remaining order of 5 A380s will also be delivered with premium economy cabins over 2021 and 2022. Emirates’ premium economy seats will also be installed on some of its Boeing 777X aircraft which are only due to join the fleet in 2023. Emirates is considering plans to retrofit its existing A380 fleet.

Emirates will announce details of where its A380 aircraft with Premium Economy will be deployed in the coming weeks.

Premium Economy: comfort and space

Emirates today unveiled details of its highly-anticipated premium economy cabin, which offers 56 seats in a 2-4-2 cabin layout.

With a generous pitch of up to 40-inches, Emirates’ premium economy seat is 19.5 inches wide, and reclines 8 inches into a comfortable cradle position with ample room to stretch out. Covered in cream-colored anti-stain leather with stitching details and a wood panel finishing similar to Business Class, each seat is designed to provide optimal comfort and support with 6-way adjustable headrests, calf rests and footrests.

Each seat has a 13.3” screen, one of the largest in its class, to enjoy the unmatched array of music, movies, TV, news and other content on Emirates’ award-winning ice.

Customers will also find thoughtful touches including easily accessible in-seat charging points, a wide dining table and side cocktail table.

Emirates Premium Economy is located at the front of the main deck, with 2 lavatories dedicated to customers.

First Class: even more privacy and luxury

On this latest Emirates A380, the airline’s 14 First Class private suites have been enhanced from the original suites, being slightly wider with taller doors, for even more privacy and comfort.

Cabin detail and finishes have also been refreshed with new motifs and colours, from the sweeping stairs that lead from the main deck to the upper deck, to refreshed design trims and modern fittings in the Shower Spa.

Business Class: new luxury finishes

Emirates has retained its popular A380 Business Class seats which offer direct aisle access for every passenger, reclines to a fully-flat position, and offers personal mini bars, ample personal storage and a high degree of privacy.

All 76 seats have been refreshed to feature champagne-coloured leather covers and wood finishing, inspired by executive jets, similar to the Business Class on Emirates’ Boeing 777 Gamechanger aircraft.

The same classic colour scheme has also been applied to the Onboard Lounge at the back of the upper deck, for the exclusive use of First and Business Class passengers.

Economy: gamechanger seats

Emirates has replaced all 338 Economy seats onboard its newest A380 with ergonomically designed seats that come with full leather headrests and flexible side panels which can be adjusted vertically for optimum support.

This latest seat model is a step up from the version currently installed on Emirates’ Boeing 777 Gamechanger aircraft. It is lighter, without compromising on comfort or function. Each seat features a classy wood grain finish on tray tables, as well as a 13.3” personal screen to enjoy Emirates’ award-winning ice.

Refreshed cabin interiors

Throughout the Emirates A380 interior, customers will see new finishes and design touches featuring the Ghaf (prosopis cineraria) tree motif, as well as the clean and airy champagne colour scheme with wood panelling and bronze accents from Emirates’ latest Boeing 777 Gamechanger interiors.

An indigenous evergreen plant, the Ghaf is considered the national tree of the United Arab Emirates, and has deep cultural and ecological significance.

All cabin classes are equipped with the latest generation of Emirates’ award-winning ice inflight entertainment system offering improved and superior image quality. Each in-seat screen will feature ultra-wide viewing angles, a capacitive touch screen, LED backlight and full HD display.