Jul 9, 2020

The Dubai-based airline Emirates announced it will soon resume several routes to the Americas, Africa and Europe today.

The major global carrier is adding more flights back to its network due to increased demand following the lifting of virus-related restrictions in Dubai.

“We’ve seen an uptick in customer interest and demand since the announcement of Dubai’s reopening,” said Emirates’ chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim in a statement.

Between July 15 and Aug. 15, Emirates will resume fights from Dubai to Geneva, Los Angeles, Dar es Salaam, Prague, Sao Paolo and Boston. By Aug. 15, Emirates will offer regular service to 58 destinations with these additions, according to the statement.

Emirates suspended regularly scheduled passenger flights in March when the United Arab Emirates went into a strict lockdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In May, the airline resumed passenger flights to destinations on multiple continents. Emirates has continued to add back Middle Eastern and other routes since then.

The news follows the lifting of several virus-related measures in Dubai and the Gulf states. Late last month, the United Arab Emirates ended its countrywide curfew. This week, Dubai decided to allow tourists to visit again, provided they test negative for the novel coronavirus.

Emirates has had to stop some of the flights it has resumed since May as countries grapple with the complications of opening up again amid the continued pandemic. Emirates decided to temporarily suspend its flights to New Zealand yesterday following new restrictions on returnees to the South Pacific country. In late June, Emirates halted flights from Pakistan following an outbreak of the virus on a flight.

Dubai is a major regional and international transit hub. Many Middle Eastern countries stopped allowing passenger flights earlier in the year due to the virus. Some countries, including Iraq and Jordan, remain closed to such flights.