Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, has announced that it will cover the Coronavirus-related medical and quarantine expenses of its passengers when they travel through its flights to and from the UAE and around the world. The decision has been taken in accordance with the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Emirates airline passengers can claim their COVID-19 related medical expenses of up to EUR 150,000 and quarantine costs of EUR 100 per day for 14 days if they are diagnosed with the virus during their travel journey with the airline. This initiative has been taken to boost travel confidence of the passengers which will help in the recovery of the tourism sector in the aftermath of pandemic lockdown.

Speaking over the development, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive, said that the airline is leading the way in boosting the confidence for international travel among passengers.

"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," Al Maktoum said.

He asserted that Emirates has been working hard to put ensure safety measures at every step of the customer's journey to mitigating the risk of infection, adding that booking policies have also been updated to offer flexibility.

"We are now taking it to the next level, by being the first in the industry to offer our customers free global cover for COVID-19 medical expenses and quarantine costs should they incur these costs during their travel. It is an investment on our part, but we are putting our customers first, and we believe they will welcome this initiative," Al Maktoum added.

Emirates is free-of-cost covering COVID-19 related medical expenses and quarantine costs of its passengers regardless of their destination or class of travel. The initiative is applicable from immediate effect for Emirates flyers till October 30, 2020.

"It is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey. This means Emirates customers can continue to benefit from the added assurance of this cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at their Emirates destination," the airline said in a statement.

The airline further highlighted that customers are not required to register themselves or fill any form before their journey. Moreover, they are not obligated to use this cover according to their comfort. The statement states that any customer diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel can avail the cover and medical assistance by simply contacting a dedicated hotline.

For hotline number and details related to the COVID-19 related expenses cover are available on www.emirates.com/COVID19assistance.

In the wake of the pandemic crisis, the Dubai-based carrier temporarily shut down its operations in later March to contain the spread of Coronavirus. However, with efforts to curb the pandemic transmission continue, the airline has started resuming its operations on a limited network in the past weeks. 

WAM