HARARE, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Emirates will resume flights to Zimbabwe on Oct. 1 after a six-month closure of international passenger flights due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
The airline will also reintroduce flights to South Africa's Johannesburg and Cape Town on the same day, and to Durban on October 4 and Mauritius on Oct. 3.
"The addition of the five points will expand the Emirates' global network to 92 destinations, as the airline gradually resumes its operations while prioritizing the safety of its customers, crew and the communities it serves around the world," the airline said in a statement to Xinhua Thursday.
The airline said it will operate the Harare route with two weekly flights linked to its Lusaka, Zambia service.
"The linked services will connect Zambia and Zimbabwe to key destinations across Europe, the Far East, the Americas, Australia and West Asia with one convenient stop in Dubai," it said.
Emirates said COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving in Dubai irrespective of the country they are from to ensure the safety of travelers, visitors and the community.
"Flights to Harare will be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER. Starting from Oct. 1, Emirates' flight EK 714 will depart from Harare at 1255 on Mondays and Fridays and arriving in Lusaka at 1400 and then Dubai at 0025 the next day.
"Flight EK 713 will depart from Dubai at 0820 on Thursdays and Sundays, then from Lusaka at 1500 before arriving in Harare at 1605," the airline said.
Emirates is offering free, global cover for COVID-19 related costs to its customers until Dec. 31, 2020.
"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," it said. Enditem
