His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of flydubai said the decisions to issue new travel protocols for citizens, residents and tourists travelling through Dubai airports and welcome returning residents, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will strengthen the economy by boosting one of its major pillars, the tourism and travel sector. The impetus received by the new announcement will enable our national carriers to reinforce their leading position in the global travel industry, he said.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed said: "The new protocols have been adopted after a detailed evaluation of the situation, both domestically and globally, and ensuring readiness to deal with all possible scenarios. The move comes at a time when the world is preparing to resume economic activities across sectors. Travel and tourism are among the key industries at the forefront of spurring global economic recovery. Our airports and national carriers are resuming larger scale operations by stringently implementing globally benchmarked precautionary and preventive measures that protect the health and safety of travellers."

His Highness added: “Since the beginning of the crisis, the UAE has implemented comprehensive measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our country has closely followed the directives of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), setting a global example in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of passengers and ensuring that flights operate smoothly.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum confirmed that Emirates Airlines and flydubai are geared to provide the highest quality of services for passengers following implementation of the new protocols. The new protocols enable citizens and residents to travel to destinations that have started to receive flights in accordance with protocols put in place by their governments. They also allow residents to travel back to Dubai in accordance with measures implemented to prevent spread of the virus. 

HH Sheikh Ahmed noted that both airline companies have developed a clear set of protocols to safeguard the health and safety of all passengers and both ground staff and aircrew. Comprehensive preparations have been made to ensure the comfort of all travellers including tourists that Dubai will start to welcome from 7 July 2020, Sheikh Ahmed added. 

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed expressed his appreciation for the concerted efforts of federal entities at the forefront of combating the virus, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority. His Highness also praised the role of Dubai’s frontline government organisations as well as private sector companies that have made vital contributions to the fight against the virus. He said the support extended by both local and international private companies reflect the strong spirit of partnership between Dubai’s public and private sectors. He also commended the commitment of the community and the spirit of solidarity shown by members of society, which have been instrumental in achieving marked progress in curbing the pandemic.

With Emirates Airlines gradually recommencing more passenger services, it recently announced resumption of flights to 10 additional cities, taking the total number of destinations to which, it currently operates flights to 40.  flydubai’s operations have already enabled 23,000 people stranded in Dubai to return to their home countries while its cargo flights helped transport essential goods to Dubai and other global destinations.