Emirates to suspend all passenger flights amid COVID-19 outbreak

DUBAI: Emirates announced on Sunday (Mar 22) that it will “temporarily suspend” all its passenger operations from Wednesday in light of the COVID-19 outbreak that has forced countries to close their borders.

“Until January 2020, the Emirates Group was doing well against our current financial year targets. But COVID-19 has brought all that to a sudden and painful halt over the past six weeks,” the chairman and CEO of the Emirates Group Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said.

“As a global network airline, we find ourselves in a situation where we cannot viably operate passenger services until countries re-open their borders, and travel confidence returns.

“We continue to watch the situation closely, and as soon as things allow, we will reinstate our services.”

Cargo flights will still operate as normal, he said.

“These are unprecedented times for the airline and travel industry, but we will get through it. Our business is taking a hit, but what matters in the long run is that we do the right thing for our customers, our employees, and the communities we serve,” the CEO added.

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