Emirates airline and flydubai to resume flights to Turkey

Air travel between Istanbul and Dubai looks set to resume for the first time since the pandemic shut airports earlier this year

Flights between the UAE and Turkey are set to resume this week, with flydubai and Emirates announcing services to Istanbul from Dubai. Unsplash

Emirates airline plans to resume flights from Dubai to Istanbul this month.

The Dubai airline will fly daily to the Turkish city via a Boeing 777-300 from Monday, December 21, "subject to government approval", the company said.

Flights are scheduled to depart Dubai at 2.20pm, landing in Istanbul at 4.20pm. Return flights will leave Istanbul just after 8pm and touch down in Dubai at 1.20am the following day. One-way fares to Istanbul with Emirates in Economy class are from Dh1,400.

Emirates will fly daily from Dubai to Istanbul via a Boeing 777-300. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates is slowly rebuilding its network of destinations and the addition of daily flights to Istanbul will mean the Dubai airline is now operating to 31 locations across Europe, and 99 total destinations across the world.

Flydubai is restarting flights to Istanbul from the UAE this month, a representative told The National.

The low-cost airline said that flights "from Dubai International to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport are available to book on flydubai.com and a daily service will operate from December 17."

Flights will depart Dubai just before 7pm and land in Turkey at 10.45pm. The lowest one-way fares available to book on the flydubai website are from Dh1,050.

Is Turkey open to tourists?

Istanbul in winter. Unsplash

Turkey has reopened its borders for tourism and passengers of all nationalities who meet Turkish immigration rules can travel to the country.

Emirates advises travellers that they must wear a face mask at all times while in an airport, and for the duration of all flights to and from Turkey.

Travellers arriving in Istanbul will undergo a medical evaluation for symptoms of coronavirus, including temperature checks. Any passengers showing symptoms will be required to undergo a PCR test at the airport.

A passenger locator form must also be completed before travelling to Turkey and airlines will provide travellers with more information on this.

Bloomberg reports that Turkish Airlines is also planning to resume flights to Dubai from Istanbul now that the travel corridor has reopened.

Free hotel stays for Emirates passengers

Emirates and Dubai Tourism is offering winter tourists to Dubai a free night stay at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai. Courtesy JW Marriott Marquis / Nicolas Dumont

As part of a winter tourism campaign, Emirates and Dubai Tourism are giving tourists visiting Dubai a complimentary hotel stay. This applies to visitors flying to Dubai from today until February 28.

Economy class passengers will receive one free night's stay at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai. First or Business class travellers will be given a two-night complimentary stay at the hotel, which is located near popular tourist attractions including The Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Opera.