Emirates begins on-site rapid Covid-19 testing at Dubai airport

Emirates airline along with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have introduced a rapid Covid-19 testing initiative for outbound passengers at Dubai airport.

All passengers departing on a flight from Dubai to Tunisia were subjected to a Covid-19 blood test at the group check-in area of Terminal 3 on Wednesday.

The results were made available in 10 minutes.

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“We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights, this will enable us to conduct on-site tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers travelling to countries that require Covid-19 test certificates,” said Adel Al Redha, COO of the airline.

Today @emirates has become the first airline to conduct on-site rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers. We thank @DHA_Dubai, @DubaiAirports and all UAE government authorities for their initiatives and innovative solutions that ensure well-being of all. pic.twitter.com/DTHFjcLdZV

— HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (@HHAhmedBinSaeed) April 15, 2020

“We are glad to work with Emirates on the successful implementation of rapid Covid-19 testing at the airport for departing travellers. To tackle Covid-19, we have been proactively working with various governmental organisations and the private health sector and we have implemented all necessary measures from public health protection to provision of high-quality health services in line with the latest international guidelines,” said Humaid Al Qutami, director-general of the DHA.

Read: Emirates announces passenger flights to more cities

In a press statement, the airline elaborated on the other precautions that it was taking in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its check-in and boarding formalities have been adapted with social distancing in mind and protective barriers have been installed at each check-in desk.

Gloves, masks and hand sanitisers have been made mandatory for all employees at the airport.

Passengers are also required to wear their own masks when at the airport and on board the aircraft.

The airline said that it has modified its inflight services for health and safety reasons.

Magazines and other print reading material will not be available, and while food and beverages will continue to be offered on board, packaging and presentation will be modified to reduce contact during meal service and minimise risk of interaction.

Cabin baggage are currently not accepted on flights. Carry-on items allowed in the cabin are limited to laptop, handbag, briefcase or baby items.

All other items have to be checked in, and the airline will add the cabin baggage allowance to customers’ check-in baggage allowance.

All Emirates aircraft will go through enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes in Dubai after each journey, the statement added.

The UAE government announced on March 25 that it was temporarily suspending all passenger flights from the country as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Read: Etihad’s early-warning system at Abu Dhabi airport to identify medically at-risk travellers

However, Emirates, flydubai and Etihad have all begun organising special repatriation flights to several destinations as well as returning Emiratis stranded across the world back to the UAE.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad said on April 6 that it would partner with Australian company Elenium Automation to roll out a new early-warning system which uses self-service devices at Abu Dhabi airport later this month to help it identify medically at-risk travellers, including passengers who are possibly in the early stages of having contracted the Covid-19 virus.