Emirates operated the first flight serviced by fully vaccinated frontline teams across all passenger touchpoints today. In total, 70 vaccinated frontline team members across the operational scope supported the flight from Dubai to Los Angeles. This move is part of a health and safety initiative that has seen nearly 26,000 of the Emirates Group’s frontline workforce already receive two doses of the vaccine against coronavirus.
A landmark moment
Flight EK215, took off from the UAE hub to the United States West Coast this morning, and those working on the check-in, security, lounges, and boarding gate were all vaccinated along with the engineers, pilots, and flight attendants. Additionally, aircraft appearance, loading, and special handling teams from dnata, as well as SkyCargo teams working on the cargo logistics were all vaccinated.
Quick progress
Overall, 44% of the group’s frontline workers have received both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Sinopharm vaccines. This is great progress since the drive was launched just over a month ago.
“Our operational workforce are at the aviation frontline, helping people get to where they need to be, and moving essential goods to global communities. Protecting our people with vaccinations is important – for them, for our community, for the smooth running of our operations, and also for our customers as it introduces of an additional layer of protection when they travel with us,” Emirates COO Adel Al Redha said in a press release seen by Simple Flying.
“We’ve seen a very positive response with high demand and take-up of the Covid-19 vaccine from our colleagues at the operational frontline, and there’s continued momentum in the rate of vaccinations across the business. We would like to thank the UAE’s leadership for making three types of vaccines available in the country, and for their proactive commitment to championing an extensive National Vaccination Programme.”
Nearly 5,000 cabin and flight deck crew have opted to receive both doses of the vaccine. Along with this, thousands of more staff members have received vaccines through Emirates’ clinics and vaccination centers, while others have received their doses in clinics around the UAE.
On a mission
Altogether, Emirates will glad about the progress made. Nonetheless, the determination will be there to keep the momentum going. Amid all of the ongoing global travel restrictions, at the end of last year, Emirates invested millions of dollars into a campaign to inform people that Dubai is open for tourism.
The destination has been a hotspot for a while. However, with strict conditions in several countries around the world, it became even more of a notable getaway point for those needing winter sun during these harsh times. However, due to another strong wave of global virus cases, Emirates’ services have once again been significantly impacted.
Al Redha concludes that more vaccinations will combine well with robust safety measures to help us all “look forward to the easing of border entry guidelines for many countries.” So, as it makes great strides in the vaccination program, Emirates will be keeping a close eye on the ever-changing situation of the pandemic.
What are your thoughts about Emirates operating the first flight serviced by fully vaccinated frontline teams across all customer touchpoints? Do you feel that this is a good move by the carrier? Let us know what you think of the move in the comment section.
