00:00It was a historic day for the UAE as the country celebrated its aggressive COVID-19 vaccination
00:08program with a special Emirates flight for fully vaccinated crew and passengers on Saturday,
00:14April 10th.
00:15EK2021, as the flight was aptly called, not only celebrated the success of the UAE's
00:22vaccination program that has administered close to 9 million vaccine doses to date,
00:26it also highlighted Emirates' progress in vaccinating its staff, pilots and cabin crew.
00:33It was also a celebration for passengers who took the flight as a sign of return to normalcy
00:38as most of them were not able to see the inside of a plane since the onset of the pandemic
00:43in 2020.
00:44The flight aboard the A380 was a total of four hours in duration.
00:49It took off from Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 at 12.30pm, then cruised over various
00:55areas across the UAE before landing back in Dubai at 4.30pm.
01:00Before boarding, all passengers were able to experience services and amenities at Dubai
01:04International Airport, including the use of the Emirates Business Lounge.
01:09They were also able to try out first-hand all the latest measures to help travellers
01:13enjoy a safe and smooth journey.
01:16All EK2021 passengers were also provided free rapid COVID-19 PCR tests facilitated by PureHealth.
01:24Before the plane descended, passengers were handed commemorative certificates for taking
01:28part in the milestone flight.
01:30We have so far vaccinated more than 85% of our cabin crew on flight number two.
01:36This will be a clear demonstration to demonstrate to our passengers a safe travelling pattern.
01:44We hope with many people taking the second dose of vaccination, there will be more changes
01:52and more relaxation in the entry protocols imposed by so many countries and that will
01:59obviously encourage travellers.
02:01Let me tell you, it's a very symbolic flight because all the passengers, the crew has been
02:08vaccinated.
02:09A lot of people here haven't travelled for a year.
02:11You can see the joy on their face on the flights.
02:15This is a step, I think, towards normality.
02:18I think travel is going to come back.
02:19There are so many people wanting to fly.
02:22I think this is a very good start to see the future of flying.
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