Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Jul 16, 2026

Emirates covers Covid-19 medical and funeral costs

Emirates covers Covid-19 medical and funeral costs

The world's biggest long-haul carrier is making the offer to get people flying again.
Emirates has become the first airline to offer free Covid-19 insurance as it tries to get people flying again.

Passengers will be covered for medical treatment, hotel quarantine, and even their funeral if they catch the coronavirus while travelling.

The announcement comes as carriers around the world have been hit hard by measures to tackle the pandemic.

Earlier this month, the world's biggest long-haul carrier told the BBC it is set to cut as many as 9,000 jobs.

"We know people are yearning to fly as borders around the world gradually re-open, but they are seeking flexibility and assurances should something unforeseen happen during their travel," Emirates Group Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in a statement.

The company said the offer, which is valid for 31 days from the start of a passenger's journey, will be available immediately and run until the end of October.

The coverage is free to all customers regardless of class of travel or destination and is applied automatically with no need to register.

The Dubai-based carrier said the insurance would cover medical expenses of up to €150,000 (£137,000; $176,500).

It will also pay for the cost of quarantining in a hotel for up to two weeks at €100 per day.

In the event of a passenger's death due to Covid-19 the insurance cover will provide €1,500 towards the cost of their funeral.
Fear of flying

Air travel has slumped this year as countries shut their borders and people remain concerned about potentially becoming infected on flights or while travelling.

The cancelation or postponement of major events - including the Olympic Games in Japan, industry conferences and music festivals - has also had a major impact on demand for flights.

Last month the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned that 2020 will go down as the "worst" on record financially.

The global industry group said the plunge in travel caused by the coronavirus will drive airline losses of more than $84bn (£65bn) this year, as revenues fall by 50% compared to 2019.

The collapse in demand has already forced carriers around the world to cut flights and layoff or furlough tens of thousands of workers.

Less than three weeks ago, the president of Emirates told the BBC that his company is set to cut as many as 9,000 jobs because of the pandemic.

Tim Clark said the airline had already cut a tenth of its staff but said: "We will probably have to let go of a few more, probably up to 15%."

Prior to the crisis, Emirates had 60,000 staff.

It was the first time that the Middle Eastern carrier had disclosed how many jobs it would cut.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
Harvard Astrophysicist to Lead U.S. Scientific Advisory on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Emergency Sirens Activated Across Bahrain as Interior Ministry Issues Shelter Directives
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union
The Physical and Electronic Barriers Disrupting Domestic Wireless Networks
France and Morocco Open World Cup Quarter-Finals as Collina Defends Refereeing
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
Global News Brief: Escalating Conflicts, Public Health Crises, and World Cup Drama
Europe's Growing Struggle with Extreme Heat and Air Conditioning
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
Logic Flaw in Windows 11 Permission Architecture Silently Consumes Hundreds of Gigabytes of Local Storage
Apple Advances Late-Stage Operating Systems with Fourth Beta Deployments
Global Crisis Alert: Escalating Middle East Tensions and UK Political Upheaval
Japanese Technology Firm Fujitsu Launches Advanced Artificial Intelligence Tool for Corporate Disclosures
South Africa Officially Launches Nationwide Campaign for Highly Contested Local Government Elections
United Kingdom Commits Additional Funding for Unexploded Ordnance Clearance in Laos
Singapore Announces Stringent New Greenhouse Gas Regulations for Commercial Cooling Systems
Cambodia and Thailand Hold High-Level Border Security Talks at United Nations Headquarters
Myanmar Military Government and China Sign Major Agreement to Upgrade Media and Cultural Cooperation
Knife Attack at Swiss Train Station Leaves Three Injured in Suspected Act of Domestic Terrorism
Transnational Extortion Gang Threatens Canadian Police With Army of One Thousand Armed Operatives
Australia Imposes Forty-Two-Day Quarantine on Cruise Ship Passengers Following Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak
International Monetary Fund Unlocks Seven Hundred Million United States Dollars for Sri Lanka Following Economic Reforms
Australia Launches Record One Point Four Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against Chemical Giant 3M Over Contamination
China and Canada Foreign Ministers Meet in Ottawa in Effort to Stabilize Strained Diplomatic Ties
Indonesia Demands Urgent United Nations Security Council Reform Amid Escalating Global Conflicts
Extreme Weather Patterns Trigger Severe Drought in Madagascar and Destructive Flooding in East Africa
Indian State of Karnataka Faces Political Upheaval as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Abruptly Resigns
Philippines and Japan Reaffirm Defense Ties as Crucial for Indo-Pacific Regional Stability
Norway Joins French Nuclear Deterrence Initiative in Major Shift for European Security Architecture
Global Critical Mineral Alliances Expand as Western Nations Move to Counter Chinese Supply Dominance
United States Imposes Fifty Percent Tariffs on Mexican Steel and Aluminum Ahead of Trade Pact Review
European Union and China Head Toward Major Trade Conflict Over Clean Technology Exports
United States Economic Growth Severely Downgraded to One Point Six Percent as Stagflation Fears Mount
World Health Organization Warns Central African Ebola Epidemic is Outpacing Containment Efforts
United States Treasury Department Conditions Sanctions Relief on Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
Iranian Air Defenses Intercept and Destroy United States Military Drone Over Bushehr Province
Iranian Armed Forces Launch Ballistic Missiles Toward Unspecified Targets Prompting Regional Condemnation
United Nations Secretary-General Warns Global Order Facing Highest Level of Conflict Since 1945
Israel Issues Sweeping Evacuation Orders in Southern Lebanon Amid Intensified Hezbollah Conflict
Russia Announces Systemic Military Strikes Targeting Ukrainian Defense and Energy Infrastructure
United States and Iranian Negotiators Reach Draft Agreement to Extend Ceasefire and Resume Nuclear Talks
United Nations Security Council Deeply Divided Over United States Capture of Venezuelan President
US and Iran Exchange Direct Military Strikes Amid Fragile Gulf Ceasefire
×