Emirates is adding more destinations to its current network by restarting flights to Guangzhou on July 25, Addis Ababa on August 1, Oslo on August 4, and Tehran on July 17.
All flights will be operated with the Emirates B777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents.
This will take the UAE-based airline’s passenger network to 62 destinations in August.
Customers from across Emirates’ network can now to travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for business and leisure visitors with new air travel protocols in place.
The carrier says tourists travelling to Dubai must have travel insurance with Covid-19 cover or declare at check-in that they will bear the costs for treatment and isolation if necessary before they travel. The insurance certificate stating Covid-19 coverage has to be present at check-in.
The airline is also reminding passengers that travel restrictions in several countries are still in place, and travellers will only be accepted on flights if they comply with the eligibility and entry criteria requirements of their destination countries.
Covid-19 testing
Emirates says on its website that passengers travelling from the following countries or airports as tourists to Dubai must carry a negative PCR test certificate (this list was last updated on the airline’s website on July 16):
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Egypt
- India
- Iran
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Russian Federation
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- USA – Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO), including passengers originating from California, Florida and Texas connecting to an Emirates flight from any of the airline’s airports worldwide to Dubai.
Certificates must be issued no more than 96 hours before departure, says the carrier.
For all other travellers visiting Dubai from countries not mentioned in the list above, Emirates says a PCR test is available on arrival in Dubai.
Those who take a PCR test on arrival in Dubai must self-isolate until they receive their test result. If the test result is negative, they can leave their hotel and enjoy the trip as normal.
However, if the test result is positive, they must follow the advice of the Dubai Health Authority and stay in self-isolation, says the carrier.
More details and updated information about the restrictions in place for tourists can be found here.
Flexible booking policy
With the gradual re-opening of borders over the summer, Emirates says it has revised its booking policies.
Customers whose travel plans are disrupted by Covid-19 related flight or travel restrictions, can hold on to their ticket which will be valid for 24 months and rebook to fly at a later time; request travel vouchers to offset against future Emirates purchases, or request refunds through an online form on Emirates’ website or via their travel booking agent.