PanamaTimes

Sunday, Oct 25, 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

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Advertising trick: Pepsi’s Harrier Jet Commercial Led to a $700,000 Court Fight
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Breaking With the Past: One of the World’s Smallest Countries Changes Its Name
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
Morgan Stanley Builds a Wall Street Lead in AI Infrastructure Finance
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Venezuela’s Earthquake Devastation Turns U.S. Investment Opportunity Into a Thirty-Seven Billion Dollar Reconstruction Challenge
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Trump Administration Pressures Banks to Restrict Financial Access for Undocumented Immigrants
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
The AI Race Enters Its Infrastructure Era
Colombia Influencer Dies After Cosmetic Procedure at Unlicensed Bogota Salon
A Quiet Bastille Day: France Grapples with World Cup Heartbreak and Leftover Fireworks
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
On the Island That Did Not Yield to Trump, There Is No Electricity, and 10 Million Live in Darkness
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
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
×