The peak travel period runs from today until January 10…

If you’re planning to travel through Dubai International Airport this weekend, be sure to leave yourself plenty of extra time. Emirates Airline has issued a warning for travellers as it expects more than one million passengers over the next 12 days.

With the holiday season coming to a close, residents are returning from their travels, or heading out of the country for New Year’s celebrations, so the airline suggests leaving extra time to avoid last minute stress.

In line with Emirates and Dubai International’s health precautions and to ensure the safety of the general public, only passengers with valid tickets will be allowed into the terminal.

Customers are advised to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled flight, and ensure that they have all of the correct documentation to travel. Anyone arriving less than 60 minutes before departure will not be accepted for their flight.

To make the process smoother, you can check in online up to 48 hours before your flight, and use one of the 36 contactless bag-drop machines upon arrival.

Gates open 90 minutes before departure, boarding starts 45 minutes before the flight and gates close 20 minutes before departure – don’t be late.

For passengers arriving into Dubai International Airport, random PCR testing has been reintroduced as a precautionary measure.

Emirates Airline has a list of countries from which testing on arrival is mandatory, however passengers arriving from alternative countries may be chosen to take a PCR test after passing through immigration at the airport.

Anyone travelling into Dubai (or Abu Dhabi) will need to present an official PCR certificate before boarding. If you are selected for random testing, you do not need to wait for the results, they will be sent to you by SMS.

emirates.com

Image: Getty