Emirates continues to operate to the US????

[Easy Peasy]

Most flights from Europe to the US have been canceled. Emirates continues to service 13 cities in the US direct from Dubai? Emirates crew are now quarantined in their homes for 14 days after duty unless, of course, they have another flight before they have completed their 14 day quarantine. They are able to fly to the US and walk around cities such as Houston, Boston etc with no restrictions. They are quarantined in the UAE but free to walk around 13 US cities unrestricted unless local guidelines prohibit it.

Doesn't anyone see a problem with this?

EP

[golfyankeesierra]

They are able to fly to the US and walk around cities such as Houston, Boston etc with no restrictions.
Not true! There are a lot of restrictions for foreign carriers.
COVID-19: Interim Health Guidance for Air Carriers and Crews. (https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2020/SAFO20003.pdf)

amongst others:
o Avoid contact with sick people
o Stay in their hotel rooms to the extent possible
o Minimize going out into the general population
o Use social distancing (maintain a distance of approximately 6 feet, if possible) whenever out in public
o Avoid crowds, stores, sporting or mass entertainment events, and other situations likely to attract large numbers of people
o Eat within their hotel rooms with either room service or delivery service. If in-room dining options aren’t available, they should eat at a restaurant located in the hotel. If not available at the hotel, they should eat at a restaurant located close to the hotel.

[Easy Peasy]

I think I’m most concerned that the same pilot could have done a turn-around to Italy three days earlier. So the US is banning passengers from Europe... yet an individual (let’s say pilot) could fly from Italy-UAE-USA unrestricted. If a passenger they wouldn’t be allowed to enter the UAE due to the restrictions in place in the UAE but they could enter the US without any issues. Crew members ie cabin crew can enter the US with no questions asked at customs about what parts of the world they have been with in the previous few days.... and no passport stamps to confirm their whereabouts.

Seems a huge loophole in the policy of the US to restrict admissions from level 3 countries.

[Easy Peasy]

Not true! There are a lot of restrictions for foreign carriers.
COVID-19: Interim Health Guidance for Air Carriers and Crews. (https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2020/SAFO20003.pdf)

amongst others:

if anyone knows cabin crew they are not staying in their hotel room. They are at Cosco. They are required to self quarantine in the UAE and without a doubt stocking up on layovers.

[Radgirl]

There is no point taking about rules and regulations. This is a virus. It doesnt obey them. It spreads by expired aerosol, but can live on cardboard for 24 hours and steel and other surfaces for 72 hours. Every country has to be isolated, and countries which have new cases (ie all except China, Singapore etc) must lock down. Nobody goes out except for essential work. We may need some air freight and the odd remaining repatriation flight but Emirates are causing death. Everyone traveling is spreading the virus. They check into hotels and interact with staff. Interact with drivers and passengers and customs. Even if they stay 6 feet apart they shed virus. Even if they dont get symptoms or die they risk acting as a viral pool spreading it to others to suffer and in some circumstances die.

The UK is supposed to be closed but as I came back from my hospital in London I saw a crowded park, masses of children playing together and people sitting together at tables outside empty bars. Selfish, dangerous, stupid.

I urge everyone to take this seriously.

[golfyankeesierra]

For the crews it is a stressful event as well. They are not there for fun but help getting your citizens back home. They would rather stay at homethemselves but take an increasing personal risk by going abroad and getting stuck (due sickness or closed airspace) in countries with various levels of healthcare.

[Yarra]

Most flights from Europe to the US have been canceled. Emirates continues to service 13 cities in the US direct from Dubai? Emirates crew are now quarantined in their homes for 14 days after duty unless, of course, they have another flight before they have completed their 14 day quarantine. They are able to fly to the US and walk around cities such as Houston, Boston etc with no restrictions. They are quarantined in the UAE but free to walk around 13 US cities unrestricted unless local guidelines prohibit it.

Doesn't anyone see a problem with this?

EP
Do you actually know, IE have proof that the crew are free to walk around in 13 cities?

[Radgirl]

You can't spread what you haven’t caught,

True, but you have caught it and are shedding for up to 5 days before you get symptoms. That is why testing and contact tracing, excellently undertaken in Singapore and neglected in many countries, is vital. Warwick University has undertaken modelling suggesting there were up to a million patients walking around the UK shedding virus when the known number was under 1000 last week. That is why we need probably 90% of the population locked down. The more people that go out, travel, stay in hotels etc etc, the more asymptomatic people are spreading the virus

[Easy Peasy]

Do you actually know, IE have proof that the crew are free to walk around in 13 cities?

Well I have no proof of all 13 cities but I have proof of one because I just spoke to one and her mates at Target.... hence the thread. Who would have guessed?

[Winemaker]

Frankly, does it even matter now? With the US cases rapidly approaching approaching Italian numbers the horse is out of the barn. I'm afraid there is no going back and the US (where I live) is in for a rude shock in the next two or three weeks. We've jumped from sixth to third in the number of reported cases (26,000) and that's probably only because the US is finally starting to test a lot of patients. We will see a doubling in four to five days and this is exponential, not linear. The 'spring break' partying going on down in Florida will only speed the spread. Good luck to us all.....

[RAD_ALT_ALIVE]

Why target EK?
A quick look on FR24 shows Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Air India, and Cathay still flying into the US.
The horse has well and truly bolted in the US of A. I wouldn’t worry about incoming aircrew, instead I’d be concentrating more on preparing for what’s in store for your country over the coming weeks and months.

[Easy Peasy]

Why target EK?
A quick look on FR24 shows Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Air India, and Cathay still flying into the US.
The horse has well and truly bolted in the US of A. I wouldn’t worry about incoming aircrew, instead I’d be concentrating more on preparing for what’s in store for your country over the coming weeks and months.


Because I didn’t meet crew members from China Southern, Air China, China Eastern, Air India and Cathay at Target today... perhaps they are all staying in their hotel rooms.

[Easy Peasy]

All crew and passengers arriving into Dubai are tested for Covid. Every time. So I doubt crew are as big a threat as they are being made out to be.



Where did the UAE get enough test kits to test over 20,000 crew every time they enter the UAE? Not to mention, every passenger??? Swab them yes... actually test the swabs? Maybe that is where all of the US test kits went. Not to mention the results take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. By then most of the crew have left for other destinations. I’m not singling out EK crew but just begs the question, if they are quarantined in the UAE why not in the USA? The same holds true for any carrier. What about the freighter crews of any carrier? They are operating out of just about every destination on the planet. Are they quarantined? Somehow I feel me not going to a bar is doing little to stop the spread when this is going on.

[Fuel-Off]

Because I didn’t meet crew members from China Southern, Air China, China Eastern, Air India and Cathay at Target today... perhaps they are all staying in their hotel rooms.

Just because you didn't seem them, doesn't mean they're not out and about as you experience the EK crew doing. Why not look at your own backyard first before casting aspersions? Look at all those young people in Florida STILL meeting in mass numbers in Spring Break. Those people FAR out number a handful of - as you seem to put it - 'pestilent' crew members.

Fuel-Off :ok:

[J.O.]

A friend arrived in DBX and was tested on Wednesday. He says he got the result in one hour.

[onload]

At our airline we still fly to some US destinations out of Europe. Some flights are belly cargo only (to transport medical equipment from EU to US). I stay in the hotel as much as possible as I don't want to get sick in US with it's very questionable healthcare...

[marchino61]

A friend arrived in DBX and was tested on Wednesday. He says he got the result in one hour.

Sounds like they are using an "untested" test. Because the standard PCR test takes over 2 hours to run even without allowing for preparing the samples for the test and analysing the results afterwards.

[crewmeal]

New York is in lock down, also ATC JFK reported a controller has the virus and is now limiting movements.

[45989]

At our airline we still fly to some US destinations out of Europe. Some flights are belly cargo only (to transport medical equipment from EU to US). I stay in the hotel as much as possible as I don't want to get sick in US with it's very questionable healthcare...
Very prescient post. Contrast with the OP's opinion is quite stark

[the_stranger]

Well I have no proof of all 13 cities but I have proof of one because I just spoke to one and her mates at Target.... hence the thread. Who would have guessed?
While this crew could be spreading the virus in that target, so could you!

Maybe you missed it, but the US also had a quickly increasing number of infections, and that's without extensive testing. The real number of infected is multiple of that what the government is telling you. There is a good chance a local customer has a higher chance of having been infected already than that air crew.

You could be carrying it already (and passing it on to other target customers).

[Bob Viking]

I realise this is a slightly glib comment and not fully researched in a statistical sense, but why would the USA deem arrivals from the UAE to be any more dangerous than its’ own citizens?

I recently flew back from Oman to the UK for some leave with my family. If I’m honest, I don’t think that journey has decreased my chances of infection.

Oman is dealing very well with the illness. Maybe UAE is similarly well prepared.

Oman has shown how autocratic governments are more able to bring in draconian measures without complaint from the population. So far at least.

BV

[No longer ATC]

Sky news just said Ek announce suspension of pax flts, starting wednesday..

[Easy Peasy]

Bit optimistic to think all 20k are still flying, things are pretty quiet everywhere as far as flights goes.
The missing US test kits are of your own CDCs making, don't blame the rest of the world for an American failure.
Yes results do take 24-72hrs, but you would be stretched to find a crew member with any back to back flying at the moment, also flights to the USA require at least 48hrs off prior so likely to have a result before then.
Go to the bar or don't, that's up to you, but know that crew isn't out at the bar back in Dubai, they are all closed, and the crew are all locked down.

When did I blame the rest of the world for a failure of the Obama administration? He flooded the CDC with money and made them a lazy lot much like the US postal service. The US takes full responsibility for the failures of Obama. Despite Trump trying to get them back into shape by cutting funding and trimming the fat they have still been unable to produce a vaccine or a reasonable number of test kits. A poor performance by the CDC for sure!

So everything is locked down in Dubai now? Restaurants the mall and the like? Everything is closed including the massage parlors? You can’t tell by crew Facebook pictures.

[cashash]

Sky news just said Ek announce suspension of pax flts, starting wednesday..

Not to USA

[Herod]

Not to USA

My geography must be at fault, but I see Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle on that list

[cashash]

See latest update.


Having received requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers, Emirates will continue to operate passenger and cargo flights to the following countries until further notice, as long as borders remain open, and there is demand: the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, USA, and Canada. The situation remains dynamic, and travellers can check flight status on emirates.com.

[Chris2303]

Well I have no proof of all 13 cities but I have proof of one because I just spoke to one and her mates at Target.... hence the thread. Who would have guessed?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12318914

"The man told the restaurant he and his crew did not care to follow the rules and they were leaving Auckland on Tuesday, "so who cares"."

[MCDU2]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12318914

"The man told the restaurant he and his crew did not care to follow the rules and they were leaving Auckland on Tuesday, "so who cares"."

My initial reaction was this must be a M/E local who is above all laws....But having just received a facebook screenshot of "Sandy", well good luck bud as your imperial masters will no doubt be terminating your contract with immediate effect.

[MikeSnow]

When did I blame the rest of the world for a failure of the Obama administration? He flooded the CDC with money and made them a lazy lot much like the US postal service. The US takes full responsibility for the failures of Obama. Despite Trump trying to get them back into shape by cutting funding and trimming the fat they have still been unable to produce a vaccine or a reasonable number of test kits. A poor performance by the CDC for sure!

Sorry, but my sarcasm detector seems to be INOP at the moment. You are not serious, are you?

[eu01]

Now they have been forced to suspend all flights.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management & UAE General Civil Aviation Authority suspends all inbound, outbound passenger flights, transit of airline passengers effective after 48hrs and for a duration of two weeks.
(quoting an official announcement on Twitter, March 23rd)

[Landflap]

Bit I am not getting is that when observing the strict lockdown in Italy, for example, how come cases are still increasing and deaths still increasing ?

We still get lots of conflicting info too . RADGIRL tells us the virus is blasted out into the ether and lives on Cardboard for 24hrs. My info was that it does not survive "for very long on cardboard". Yikes, just cancelled me take-away balti !

[Oh gaim]

Sorry, but my sarcasm detector seems to be INOP at the moment. You are not serious, are you?
I wouldn’t bank on it. There is some extreme blinkering and distinct lack of critical thinking on both sides of their political system.