While coronavirus continues to affect the entire globe, many countries have closed their borders stopping a large majority of international air travel.
What travel post-pandemic is set to look like remains to be seen, but one top global airline is predicting flights could be on offer from as little as Dhs45.
According Qantas Airways Ltd — the national airline of Australia and a partner airline to Emirates — has predicted on of their busiest domestic routes, Sydney to Melbourne, could see airfares falling to as low as $12 (Dhs45) on their low-cost carrier Jetstar.
“We’ve no doubt that there’s a need for some stimulation to start a lot of the market travelling again,” the Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said, according to . “We’ll still cover our cash costs on those flights.”
As for when airlines will get back to full flight capacity, it could take up to four years, according to the top executives from UAE-based airlines Emirates and Etihad.
During a video conference with the US-UAE Business Council last week, Emirates President Tim Clark and Etihad CEO Tony Douglas explained that the demand from travellers may not return until 2023.
The pair also shared that without an effective vaccine in place for COVID-19, the way we fly will be very different than many are used to.
Emirates flight schedule
It is currently expected that flights with Dubai’s airline Emirates aren’t likely to resume until at least July, according to an update to flight schedules that was made last month.
Meanwhile, Emirates also recently announced it is putting more measures in place to protect its employees and customers alike against the coronavirus outbreak.
All staff members who come into contact with passengers – this includes cabin crew, boarding agents and ground staff – will now be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) to wear. As well as gloves and a face mask, PPE includes a protective disposable gown to wear over uniforms and a safety visor.
The announcement of further protection methods against COVID-19 comes after Emirates revealed they would now be conducting rapid on-site coronavirus tests for passengers. The tests are conducted in coordination with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and results are are available within 10 minutes.
As part of other precautions being taken by Emirates, the airline’s check-in and boarding processes have also been altered with barriers added to check-in desks. Similarly, all passengers must wear masks when in the airport and on-board flights. There are also currently no magazines or print material available, and food and beverage services have been altered to minimise interactions.
