Dubai’s Emirates offers leave to staff as virus saps demand for travel

Emirates Group, which runs the world’s biggest airline by international traffic, is encouraging staff to take leave as the coronavirus outbreak slows demand for travel.

“We’ve seen a measurable slow-down in business across our brands, and a need for flexibility in the way we work,” according to an internal email seen by Bloomberg and confirmed by the Dubai-based airline.

The airline asked employees to consider taking paid or unpaid leave, according to the email.

Emirates halted most flights to China and suspended operations to Iran, the epicenters of the coronavirus.

It stopped flying tourists from more than 20 countries to Saudi Arabia, the carrier’s biggest market in the Middle East.