Emirates suspends Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and New Zealand flights.
Emirates has announced the suspension of flights to more than 110 destinations across the globe, including three of its ports in Australia.
An update on the EK website indicates Adelaide-Dubai flights suspended from 23 March though to 20 May, as well as Melbourne via Singapore to Dubai also cut effective immediately.
Melbourne-Dubai and Brisbane-Dubai direct services will cease operating from 29 March through to 30 June, while all of the carrier’s NZ flights will stop effective 29 March including direct Auckland-Dubai flights, Auckland-Denpasar and Christchurch-Sydney.
Affected Emirates passengers are being given the ability to hold their original ticket in credit for up to 760 days.
The EK cutbacks follow sweeping reductions announced by Cathay Pacific on Friday, with the Hong-Kong based airline saying it intends to operate “a bare skeleton passenger flight schedule in April and May”.
Cathay Pacific will operate just three flights per week to 12 destinations – London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Tokyo Narita, Taipei, New Delhi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Sydney.
Cathay Dragon will also operate three weekly flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur.
MEANWHILE the Federal Government has also this afternoon unveiled details of a further stimulus package aiming at keeping small businesses afloat and people employed through the coronavirus downturn.
Unsecured loans to SMEs of up to $250,000 will be guaranteed by the government, while tax-free cash payments of up to $100,000 will also be available to employers.
Sole traders and casuals will be able to access an additional $550 per fortnight under a new Job Seeker allowance, while anyone with income or hours reduced by 20% or more will be able to redraw up to $10,000 of their superannuation.
More in tomorrow’s issue of Travel Daily.