Emirates to resume flights to Pakistan from June 8

Emirates, the Dubai-based world’s largest international carrier, announced that the airline will resume scheduled passenger flights from Pakistan to Dubai from Monday, June 8.

The airline will initially operate flights to three cities of Pakistan: Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. However, it will carry only cargo from Dubai to these three cities but will also carry stranded residents and citizens when returning to Dubai.

“From June 8, Emirates will resume 14 weekly scheduled passenger flights from Pakistan to Dubai, including a daily from Karachi, five from Lahore, and two from Islamabad. From Pakistan, the airline will fly UAE residents and citizens as well as cargo to Dubai. On the flights from Dubai to Pakistan, the airline will only carry cargo,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“Emirates will fly from Karachi daily, from Islamabad on Thursdays and Saturdays and from Lahore on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Travelers from Pakistan will only be accepted on these flights if they comply with the eligibility and entry criteria requirements of the UAE government,” the airline said.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 and grounding of operations, Emirates has previously operated only special flights to Pakistan to repatriate stranded people from the UAE.

Travelers from Pakistan will only be accepted if they comply with the entry criteria requirements of the UAE government. Emirates said on its website that every passenger flying to Dubai needs to fill in a health declaration form, print it, and hand it over to its ground crew at departure.

In addition, travelers will need to ensure that they have The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) approval before they book their flights.

Strengthened entry restrictions remain in place upon arrival in Dubai which includes mandatory DHA test on arrival; mandatory 14-day quarantine and a follow up test before release.

“We are working closely with the authorities to plan the resumption of operations to additional destinations. We have implemented additional measures at the airport in coordination with the relevant authorities with respect to social distancing and sanitization,” said the airline.

Emirates also detailed the security measures that will be in place in each flight.

• At Dubai International airport, customers and employees will have their temperatures checked via thermal scanners.
• Protective barriers have been installed at check-in counters and gloves and masks are mandatory for all customers and employees at the airport.
• Emirates’ cabin crew, boarding agents, and ground staff, who interact directly with travelers, will don Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• After each journey, Emirates’ aircraft will undergo enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes.

The Emirates is already flying scheduled passengers flights to nine destinations including, Chicago, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Madrid, Melbourne, Milan, Paris, Sydney and Toronto. It aims to add 50 new destinations in June 2020.