DUBAI: Emirates has announced it will increase its passenger services to/from Pakistan starting 10 August, offering customers enhanced connectivity to over 70 destinations within its current network, via Dubai.

The airline is set to ramp up its flight frequency to/from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Sialkot; and resume passenger services to Peshawar – providing customers worldwide with greater access to its expanding network.

Emirates will now offer customers 53 weekly flights to Pakistan, which will increase to 60 weekly flights starting 16 August. All flights will be operated with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents.

The airline will operate 21 weekly flights to Karachi (increased to 28 weekly flights starting 16 August); 10 weekly flights to Islamabad; 7 weekly flights to Sialkot; 10 weekly flights to Lahore; and 5 weekly flights to Peshawar.

Customers are reminded that travel restrictions remain in place, and travellers will only be accepted on these flights if they comply with the eligibility and entry criteria requirements.

Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai is one of the most popular global destinations. In 2019, the city welcomed 16.7 million visitors and hosted over hundreds of global meetings and exhibitions, as well as sports and entertainment events. Dubai was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.

Customers can now travel with confidence, as Emirates has committed to cover COVID-19 related medical expenses, free of cost, should they be diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel while they are away from home. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until 31 October 2020 (first flight to be completed on or before 31 October 2020), and is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey. This means Emirates customers can continue to benefit from the added assurance of this cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at their Emirates destination.

Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers.