Emirates' New Cleaning Procedure Takes Care of Everything Passengers May Think of (Video)

As Dubai-based Emirates airline resumes its regular service on Thursday, passengers will notice several changes that will affect every aspect of the flying experience.

“The risk of catching an infection on an aircraft is already very low, but we have spared no effort in reviewing and redesigning every step, from check-in to disembarkation,” Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement Thursday. “Every measure implemented is an additional reduction in risk, and taken altogether, our aim is really to make flying as safe as possible.”

When passengers arrive at the airport, they’ll be handed complimentary hygiene kits that include masks, gloves, antibacterial wipes, and hand sanitizer.

Passengers who fly Emirates through Dubai International Airport en route to another destination will undergo thermal temperature screening at the airport (where both gloves and masks are necessary for passengers and employees). Safety barriers have also been placed at each check-in desk and immigration counter.

Like many other airlines, Emirates boarding now starts at the back of the aircraft and proceeds by small numbers of people, to reduce how often passengers walk by each other.

Onboard the aircraft, magazines, and other print reading materials are no longer available. In premium classes, “comfort items” like mattress, pillows, blankets, headphones, and toys are hygienically sealed. The cutlery used during meal service is sterilized before each use.

Passengers must check their cabin baggage and are only allowed to bring essential items like laptops, handbags, briefcases, and baby items on board.

A cabin service assistant (CSA), will be aboard every flight longer than 1.5 hours. Their specific duty will be to clean and disinfect the airplane bathrooms every 45 minutes.

Cabin crew will also be fully outfitted in head-to-toe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including face masks, face shields, and gloves.

Cabin crew practices before and after each shift have changed, too. They are picked up and dropped off at their homes via car before and after each shift. Layovers have been reduced where possible and when they are necessary, staff are put in individual hotel rooms. After every flight, every crew member “has been mandated a 14-day quarantine in their homes...unless they are on duty.”