Emirates add more key destinations to its flight suspension list

After weeks of cutting schedules and updating routes, Emirates has added several more destinations to its growing list of flight suspensions.

Emirates has now cut flights to 111 destinations across its network – which means more than 70 per cent of the airline’s routes are currently suspended.

The changes are due to travel restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by air travel.

The latest destinations to be added to the list include several cities in the UK, US, Australia and all destinations in New Zealand. Some services are suspended until June 30, meaning many foreign residents in Dubai will not be able to travel home with Emirates for the annual summer break.

The Dubai airline has suspended services to Auckland and Christchurch, the only two destinations it serves in New Zealand. As the only UAE airline to fly direct to the country, New Zealanders will need to look at alternative arrangements if they need to travel before June 30.

Services to Chicago, Brisbane, Stockholm, Vienna, Manila, Colombo, Glasgow, Newcastle and London Stansted are also suspended until the end of June.

Emirates flies to more than 150 destinations around the world. The latest cuts mean the airline has now suspended services to more than 70 per cent of its network, although not all suspensions will last until the end of June.

The airline is also rerouting flights to select destinations in Pakistan. Until Tuesday, March 31, flights to and from Peshawar and Sialkot will be directed through Islamabad. Affected passengers must make their own way to the rerouted airports.

Emirates had previously cut services to select destinations in the US amid the announcement of travel restrictions by US President Donald Trump. These flight restrictions have affected Emirates’s fifth freedom routes.

A presidential proclamation issued after Trump’s address said the president’s ban would apply to the 26 Schengen Area countries. This was then extended to include Ireland and the UK. The restrictions apply to all foreign nationals who have been in the area in the last 14 days.

The announcement regarding the US flights comes after the airline also suspended flights to Italy and Kuwait.

Emirates flights to Kuwait were suspended on Saturday, March 14 and will be grounded until at least Tuesday, March 31 after the Gulf country announced it was closing to commercial flights.

Kuwait is currently having a public holiday period lasting two weeks. The move is set to help control the spread of the disease caused by coronavirus.

Emirates is also one of several airlines reducing or suspending flights to Italy after the country announced emergency travel restrictions across the country to help contain the spread of Covid-19.

From the UAE, Emirates suspended its daily flight to Venice. The Dubai airline has also suspended flights from Dubai to Milan and Bologna.

Flights from Dubai to Rome have been cut, after initially being reduced.

Passengers affected by the changes are advised to contact their booking agent or Emirates to make alternative arrangements.

All Emirates destinations affected by flight suspensions

Abidjan (via Accra): Until May 20
Abuja: From March 23 – until further notice
Accra: Until May 20
Adelaide: From March 32 – May 20
Ahmedabad: From March 23 – March 28
Algiers: Until May 20
Amman: Until Apr 30
Athens: From March 23 – June 30
Auckland (via Bali): From March 29 – June 30
Auckland: From March 29 – June 30
Baghdad: Until April 30
Bali: From March 29 – June 30
Bangkok–Hong Kong: Until May 20
Barcelona: Until May 20
Basra: Until Apr 30
Beirut: Until Apr 30
Bengaluru: From March 23 – March 28
Bologna: Until May 20
Brisbane: From March 29 – June 30
Brussels: From March 26 – June 30
Budapest: Until May 20
Buenos Aires (via Rio de Janeiro): From March 25 – May 20
Cairo: From March 19 – June 30
Casablanca: From March 16 – June 30
Cebu/Clark: From March 29 – June 30
Chennai: From March 22 – March 28
Chicago: From March 27 – June 30
Christchurch (via Sydney): From March 29 – June 30
Cochin: From March 23 – March 28
Colombo (via Male): From March 23 – June 30
Conakry: Until May 19
Dakar (via Conakry): From March 22 – May 19
Dammam: From March 9 – April 30
Delhi: From March 22 – March 28
Dhaka: From March 22 – March 31
Dubai–Colombo: Until March 25
Dubai–Hanoi: Until March 22
Dubai–Ho Chi Minh: Until March 24
Dubai–Mauritius: From March 20 – April 2
Durban: From March 24 – May 20
Dusseldorf: From March 23 – until further notice
Edinburgh: From March 25 – June 30
Fort Lauderdale: Until June 30
Frankfurt: From March 23 – until further notice
Geneva: From March – June 30
Guangzhou: From 05 February – 30 April
Hamburg: From 23 March – until further notice
Hanoi: From 23 March – 30 June
Harare (via Lusaka): Until May 20
Ho Chi Minh: From March 25 – June 30
Houston: From March 27 – June 30
Hyderabad: Until March 28
Islamabad: Until further notice
Istanbul (IST): Until May 20
Istanbul (SAW): Until May 20
Jeddah: Until Apr 30
Kabul: From March 26 – June 30
Karachi: Until further notice
Khartoum: Until May 20
Kolkata: From March 23 – March 28
Kuwait City: Until April 30
Lagos: From March 23 – until further notice
Larnaca: Until May 20
Lahore: Until further notice
Lisbon: Until April 30
London Stansted: From March 25 – June 30
Luanda: Until May 20
Lusaka: Until May 20
Lyon: From March 23 – until further notice
Madrid: Until May 20
Malta (via Larnaca): Until May 20
Medina: Until Apr 30
Melbourne (via Singapore): From March 23 – May 20
Melbourne: From March 29 – June 30
Mexico City (via Barcelona): Until May 20
Milan: Until May 20
Moscow: From March 30 – June 30
Mumbai: Until March 28
Munich: From March 23 – until further notice
Muscat: Until April 5
New York EWR (via Athens): Until May 20
New York EWR: From March 24 – until further notice
New York JFK (via Milan): Until May 20
New York JFK: From March 24 – until further notice
Newcastle: From March 25 – June 30
Nice: From March 23 – until further notice
Orlando: From March 24 – June 30
Osaka: From March 26 – June 30
Oslo: From March 28 – June 30
Paris: From March 23– until further notice
Peshawar: Until further notice
Phnom Penh (via Bangkok): From March 29 – June 30
Phuket: From March 29 – June 30
Porto: Until May 20
Prague: From March 25 – June 30
Rio de Janeiro: From March 25 – May 20
Riyadh: Until April 30
Rome: Until May 20
Saint Petersburg: From March 30 – June 30
San Francisco: From March 29 – June 30
Santiago (via Rio de Janeiro): From March 25 – May 20
Shanghai: Until April 30
Sialkot: Until further notice
Stockholm: From March 26 – June 30
Taipei: Until May 20
Tehran: Until Apr 30
Trivandrum: Until March 28
Tunis: Until May 20
Venice: Until May 20
Vienna: From March 23 – June 30
Warsaw: Until May 20