Emirates has offered its employees to option to take voluntary leave, as companies around the world prepare for the impact Covid-19 will have.

…After an email distributed to employees of the Emirates Group including crew and pilots acknowledged a slow-down in business, according to reports.

Staff who have racked up a significant amount of holidays have been asked to take holiday leave, on a voluntary basis.

Those in non-operational roles have been offered the option of unpaid leave, this might extend to operational staff.

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All UAE flights to China (excluding Beijing) and Iran (excluding Tehran) have been cancelled

This will have a significant impact on business for UAE airlines. Emirates also cut flights to Saudi after Saudi announced a ban on religious pilgrimages to Mecca.

A netizen called on the airline to ban flights to Thailand and Japan – and the airline issued a response

@emirates @EmiratesSupport Why don’t you do the RIGHT thing and cancel flights to Japan and Thailand due to CoronaVirus? Many airlines have already cancelled. Even UAE govnmnt has issued a travel ban to Thailand for its citizens. Are they all wrong?

— Amin Nazifi (@DrNazifi) February 26, 2020

The airline continues responded, ‘it continues to review the situation’

Hi Amin, we continue to review the situation and can make changes when needed. Operational updates are available on our website. Here's the link https://t.co/YdIlLWtvvt. If you have an upcoming flight with us, DM us your booking reference and email address please.

— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) February 26, 2020