Emirates restarts regular flights with updated safety rules, including free hygiene kits for all passengers

Hot meals are back on the menu, planes will be boarded by row and toilets cleaned every 45 minutes

Emirates resumes flights today to nine destinations. The Dubai airline has announced a range of upgraded health and safety procedures for flights to protect travellers during the pandemic. Courtesy Dirk Grothe

Protective barriers have been installed at Dubai International Airport at each check-in desk and immigration counter to provide additional safety reassurance to passengers and employees during interaction over the counter. Courtesy Emirates 

Emirates has introduced complimentary hygiene kits to be given to every passenger upon check in at Dubai International Airport and on flights to Dubai. These kits comprise of masks, gloves, antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser. Courtesy Emirates

The gloves and face masks must be worn throughout the airport and face masks are compulsory on all Emirates flights.

Emirates has added a cabin service assistant to flights with a journey time of more than 90 minutes. This crew member will ensure lavatories are cleaned at frequent intervals of  45 mins. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates has restarted regular passenger flights to nine international destinations from Dubai airports, and there are new safety procedures in place for travellers.

The Dubai airline launched flights from the UAE to Europe, the US, Canada and Australia from Thursday, May 21.

Upon check-in, Emirates will give all passengers free hygiene kits. These will include face masks, gloves, antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser.

The gloves and masks must be worn at the airport and the face masks are also compulsory on all Emirates flights.

At Dubai International Airport, thermal temperature scanning is in place and protective barriers have been installed at each check-in desk and immigration counter to provide additional safety reassurance to passengers and employees.

Read more: Dubai Airport's new procedures: arrive four hours before your flight, but not earlier

Emirates will fly to Chicago, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Milan, Paris, Sydney and Toronto, with flights scheduled on these routes until June 30.

Online check-in for all flights remain suspended. This allows Emirates team members to assign seats based on social distancing measures where possible. Families that are travelling together can request to sit as a group when checking in.

Emirates has amended its boarding procedures, and passengers will now enter the aircraft by exact row rather than zone, from the back of the plane to the front. Emirates boarding agents dressed in full personal protective equipment will be on hand to assist with this and all waiting areas have been amended to allow for social distancing.

Travellers who are set to transit through the airport onto another flight will have to go through thermal screening upon disembarkation. They will then be given new hygiene kits at the gate before boarding a connecting flight.

In-flight safety measures

An additional crew member has been added to all Emirates flights that have a flying time of more than 90 minutes. This person, the cabin services assistant, will be responsible for sanitation of lavatories which will now be cleaned every 45 minutes.

Cabin baggage remains restricted to essential items such as a laptop, handbag, briefcase or baby items for on board.

In business and economy class, Emirates will resume its service with hot meals, using cutlery and crockery, sterilised before each use. Premium passengers will be given single-use menus, and items such as mattresses, pillows, blankets, headphones and toys will be hygienically sealed before use.

The airline recommends that travellers carry their own pen with them to fill out Health Declaration Forms required at some destinations.

"We are working with all the stakeholders in Dubai – including the airport, immigration, health and aviation authorities to implement such measures, and we will continue to review and consult expert advice for any development and changes. We are all aware that we have to adapt to different practices during this pandemic in our day to day activities," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates' chief operating officer.