More on Covid-19

NEW DELHI: Emirates cabin crew and ground staff directly in contact with passengers will now wear personal protective equipment (PPE) — protective disposable gown over their uniforms, a safety visor, masks and gloves. The mega airline has made it mandatory for all passengers and employees to wear masks and gloves at its Dubai International Airport hub.Passengers will need to wear their masks and gloves throughout their journey from check-in until they disembark, the airline said on Thursday.Cabin baggage will not be accepted on Emirates flights for now. Carry-on items allowed in the cabin are limited to laptop, handbag, briefcase or baby items. All other items have to be checked in, and Emirates will add the cabin baggage allowance to customers’ check-in baggage allowance, the airline said in a statement.There will now be vacant seats between individual passengers or family groups “in observance of physical distancing protocols”.“Emirates has also modified its inflight services for health and safety reasons. Food and beverages continue to be offered in the form of bento-styled boxes to reduce contact between the crew and customers during meal service and minimise interaction. The personal boxes provide customers with sandwiches, beverages, snacks and desserts,” it added.“Emirates is stepping up precautionary measures at the airport and on board to ensure the health and safety of its employees and customers … Thermal scanners monitor the temperatures of all passengers and employees stepping into the (Dubai) airport. Physical distancing indicators have been placed on the ground and at waiting areas to help travellers maintain the necessary distance during check-in and boarding. The airport team has also installed protective barriers at each check-in desk to provide additional safety reassurance to passengers and employees during interaction over the counter. All Emirates aircraft will go through enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes in Dubai, after each journey,” it added.Emirates is the largest foreign airline in India in terms of flying people in and out of the country. It operates 170 flights weekly between Dubai and 9 Indian cities. A significant number of travellers flying the airline transit between India and rest of the world via Dubai.