Emirates A380
Emirates has deployed its A380 on the Paris stretch. The carrier is now gradually bringing its France-bound services to normalcy. Image Credit: Supplied

Dubai: Emirates will resume services from Dubai to Nice from July 2 and Lyon from July 9, initially offering four flights a week to each city. The move is in line with France easing entry requirements for visitors, starting from June 9.

The lifting will enable travellers based in the UAE to visit France without the need for quarantine, said Emirates in a statement. From tomorrow, Emirates customers in the UAE are eligible for quarantine-free entry into France if they have completed the two-week period after taking both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccine.

In addition, fully vaccinated customers must also hold a negative COVID-19 PCR-RT valid for 72 hours prior to departure, or a Rapid Antigen test result no more than 48 hours old. Emirates will serve both Nice and Lyon with its wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates flight EK077 will depart Dubai to Nice on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays, at 08:45 hours, arriving at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport at 13:40 hours.

The return flight, EK078, will depart Nice at 15:55 hours arriving in Dubai at 00:10 hours the next day. Emirates flight EK081 will depart Dubai to Lyon on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays, at 14:35 hours, arriving at Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport at 19:30 hours. The return flight, EK082, will depart Lyon at 21:45 hours arriving in Dubai at 0605 hours the next day.

Revving up

Emirates operates 14 weekly flights to/from Paris, flying its flagship A380, fitted with its latest premium economy seats. “As more international destinations begin easing their entry restrictions, Emirates will expand its services to provide more choice and convenience for customers who can now plan travel to more than 30 cities in 19 countries across the Emirates network that have opened their doors for tourism and business, quarantine-free,” said the Dubai-based airline.