Emirates has announced that it will resume South African operations from February 28, pending any travel restrictions.
The UAE airline suspended flights to and from South Africa from January 16, 2021, following government directives that restrict the entry of travellers originating from South Africa into the UAE.
The airline will share updates on South African flights in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, the airline urged affected customers to contact their travel agent or Emirates contact centre for rebooking options.
Regarding the suspended flights, Emirates said in a recent statement that customers holding tickets with final destinations in South Africa will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin.
"Emirates remains committed to serving our customers in South Africa, and we look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow.
"We continue to work closely with all relevant authorities in this regard, and will endeavour to provide our customers with as much support and notice as possible," the airline said in the statement.
Emirates operates flights to Dubai from Cape Town, King Shaka and OR Tambo international airports.
IATA Travel Pass
Emirates partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to become one of the first airlines in the world to trial IATA Travel Pass, a digital health pass that will support the safe reopening of borders. IATA Travel Pass enables Emirates passengers to create a ‘digital passport’ to verify their pre-travel test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination.
They can also share the test and vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel. The new app will also enable travellers to manage all travel documentation throughout the travel experience.
Emirates will implement phase 1 in Dubai for the validation of Covid-19 PCR tests before departure prior to a full roll-out.