Dubai’s Emirates cuts passenger flights to 13 destinations
Long-haul carrier Emirates said Sunday it has dramatically cut its passenger flight destinations from 145 locations to just 13 countries. It’s a pivotal move that reflects the dramatic slowdown in traffic through the airline’s hub in Dubai, the world’s busiest international airport, due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus.
The state-owned carrier said it will keep flying to the US, the UK, Japan, Australia and Canada, among a few other select destinations. The company had just hours earlier announced a suspension of all passenger flights, but said it reversed that decision after receiving requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travelers.
The United Arab Emirates, which is home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has all but closed its borders to travelers with exceptions for those transiting through or for returning Emirati citizens.
The state-owned carrier said it will continue to operate cargo flights through its fleet of Boeing 777 freighters for the transport of essential goods, including medical supplies across the world. It also said the company would reduce salaries for the majority of its employees for three months, but will not cut jobs.
Airlines around the globe have greatly reduced their capacity in response to the pandemic and travel regulations. Many carriers are struggling to cover their costs and pay salaries with their fleets grounded and countries shutting their borders to travelers.
Only a handful have completely suspended flights, such as Royal Jordanian, which is conducting only cargo flights to comply with government regulations and entry bans. Panama’s Copa Airlines announced Saturday that it has suspended all of its flights until late April. Austrian Airlines also terminated its regular flights