Emirates suspends Harare flights

Herald Reporter

Emirates has suspended flights to Harare with effect from today as a precaution against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Flights will resume on May 20 if the situation improves.

Emirates plies the Dubai-Lusaka-Harare route.

It has also suspended flights to Lusaka, Zambia.

In a statement yesterday, Emirates said: “We wish to advise the travel trade that due to the current challenging global conditions, Emirates Airline is compelled to suspend flights EK 713/714 (LUN/HRE) for the period 20 March to 20 May 2020.

“As such flights EKZ14) and Dubai —Lusaka-Harare (EK713) will be cancelled effective 20th March 2020 up to 20 May 2020. Our last flights to and from Harare will be EK713/4 19th March 2020,” said the airline.

Players in the tourism and SMEs sectors say the suspension of flights is a blow to their operations as they relied on Emirates to bring tourists, and flights to buy goods for resale.

However, they admit the situation was beyond the company’s control given that coronavirus has impacted the world negatively.

Zimbabwe has not had any positive cases of coronavirus, while Zambia announced its first two cases on Wednesday.

To fight the spread of Covid-19, Zimbabwe has banned social gatherings of more than 100 people.

Based in Dubai, Emirates has been inspiring travel and facilitating trade between Zambia and Zimbabwe and the world since 2012.

It’s daily flights from Lusaka and Harare to Dubai connect to 157 destinations in 83 countries or territories.

Exports carried out of Harare and Lusaka include fresh flowers, fruit, vegetables and copper mining industry by-products.