Emirates has announced that they will begin to fly to and from Dublin from June 15.
In a statement, the airline announced that it will resume flights between Dubai and 16 other cities, including Dublin. The other cities are Bahrain, Manchester, Zurich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, New York JFK, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Taipei, Hong Kong, Perth and Brisbane.
Along with other airlines, Emirates has had to dramatically reduce its flight schedule due to travel restrictions and public health advice. A number of countries around the world still have strict travel restrictions in place with some banning foreign tourists altogether.
The statement did not mention if passengers in Dublin will be subject to tests or temperature checks, but these are in place in Dubai.
Although the Irish government is still advising against non-essential travel, Leo Varadkar told the Dail yesterday that summer 2020 is “far from lost”.
“It is far too soon for people to book their holidays yet, but summer is far from lost,” the Taoiseach explained.
He added: “However, we need to be confident that it is safe before we make the next move.
“I believe it is better to adopt a slow and steady approach instead of going too far and too fast. But given the numbers, I’m confident we can proceed to stage two on Monday.
“I hope to see international air travel resume, first through air bridges, but this is some weeks away.”
Meanwhile, Spain is set to welcome foreign tourists from July this year, with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stating that there “will be a tourist season this summer.”
Ireland is set to enter Phase 2 of the lifting of lockdown restrictions this coming Monday, June 8. Leo Varadkar is set to make an announcement early this evening.
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