Emirates Airlines returns $ 1.4 billion to its customers due to coronavirus

The "Emirates Airlines" group returned sums of about $ 1.4 billion to its customers between last March and June due to canceling reservations due to the novel coronavirus, as it seeks to increase its destinations exponentially to overcome the consequences of the crisis.

The group, which currently operates flights to 80 out of more than 140 destinations, said it had completed "the settlement of more than 1.4 million refund requests," which represents "90 percent of the claims group."

Emirates Airlines explained that the value of recovery requests that it has completed amounted to more than 5 billion dirhams (1.4 billion dollars).

The company announced last May that it had achieved $ 288 million in profits for the year ending in March, indicating that losses may be recorded in the current year ending in March for the first time in more than three decades.

Before the outbreak of the virus, the largest airline in the Middle East was carrying tens of millions of travelers annually to and from Dubai, where tourism has been a lifeline for more than two decades, and received more than 16.7 million visitors last year.

But the epidemic caused flights to be suspended for weeks and then dramatically reduced destinations.

Emirates Airlines currently operates flights to more than 80 destinations, but it is working to restore "100 percent" of its destinations by the summer of 2021, despite the fact that the novel coronavirus continues to spread around the world, causing travel restrictions to be imposed in several countries.

And the measures related to the novel coronavirus have prompted the company to lay off about 9,000 of its employees, according to Chairman Tim Clark. The group employs 60,000 people, including 4,300 pilots.

It takes four years for the company to get back to normal "somewhat", Clark said.

Emirates Airlines is the largest operator of the huge Airbus 380 aircraft. The group has previously announced plans to start diversifying its fleet and purchase smaller aircraft.