How Emirates Air Is Surviving During Its Lockdown
The aviation industry has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Travel bans and restrictions around many parts of the world have hurt the industry. The fears of some people to fly have also picked up. But one of the most heavily impacted groups in the field is Emirates, a carrier owned by the United Arab Emirates government.
Emirates provides high-end air travel services to Dubai and various other places throughout the world. Most of the airline's operations come from the Dubai International Airport.
The operations that Emirates uses are in jeopardy. Air travel in the UAE is in the middle of an extended pause. Emirates has had to suspend all of its flights since March 25. Details on when Emirates would continue operating its services are unclear.
Emirates has made some changes as its operations have shut down. These are to help keep the company stable.
Employees Take Off
Emirates has asked its employees to take some time off. The employees are taking a month of unpaid leave from their work. About 60,000 employees work for Emirates throughout the world. The stoppage results in substantial losses for many of these workers. However, Emirates is not going to lay off any of these people, at least for the moment.
Staff Members Losing Money
Staff members with Emirates will experience pay cuts for the next three months. These cuts will vary from 25 to 50 percent.
Stopping Flights To Some Areas
Emirates has also suspended its flights to many places around the world. While there are a few Emirates flights that operate outside the UAE, these are minimal. But of those flights, Emirates is stopping flights to most parts of China. It is also stopping flights to Iran and Bahrain, and may also temporarily stop flying to other countries where the virus has been spreading.
The Government Offers Assistance
The Dubai government will also provide equity to Emirates. Details on the amount of money the government will provide Emirates to go through the situation are unclear.
Protecting the UAE
Emirates' temporary effort in closing down is part of the effort to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further. Cases in the UAE have been minimal as of the end of March. There are about 800 confirmed cases in the UAE, with eight deaths. But the kingdom is aiming to prevent the virus from moving into the area further. The point especially comes as nearby Iran has more than 47,000 cases and nearly three thousand dead.
Other Airlines
Emirates is not the only airline that has suspended operation or adjusted its operations due to the pandemic. The Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific has requested that its employees take three weeks of unpaid leave. Multiple airlines in the United States have also suspended flights to China, while the United States has also temporarily stopped travel between that country and many parts of Europe. Other airlines that operate in the UAE like flydubai have also stopped providing flights during this time or have dramatically reduced operations.
These moves occur as the Dubai International Airport may experience losses. The airport takes in more than 40 million people each year.
