Emirates told cabin crew to report for duty during historic Dubai flood despite government's stay-at-home warning, report says
GIUSEPPE CACACE/Getty
- A historic flood brought the most rain in 75 years to the United Arab Emirates.
- Over 800 flights have been canceled at Dubai International Airport since Tuesday.
- Despite a stay-at-home warning, Emirates has reportedly encouraged cabin crew to report for duty.
Emirates flight attendants in Dubai were told to still report for duty while a flood left much of the city's airport underwater.
A memo sent to the airline's cabin crew was obtained by the "A Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge," a Facebook page where aviation industry staff share gossip and stories.
It encouraged staff to make their way to the airport despite the government telling people to stay at home.
"We are operating our flights safely, and it's important our operations carry on for the sake of our customers," the email reportedly read.
It added: "If you are rostered for duty, please continue to make your way safely to work."
Aviation news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo first reported the memo as posted on Facebook.
Emirates did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Videos and pictures shared by the Facebook page, which has over one million followers, appear to show Emirates cabin crew struggling through the flood waters.
Other clips showed cabin crew covering themselves with plastic bags to protect their uniforms from the rain.
A group of Emirates cabin crew saving themselves and their uniform during historic Dubai rain/flood.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) April 18, 2024
????Credit : LIONE$$ @The_Lioness13
#Dubai #Dubaifloods pic.twitter.com/eK7WjDURg9
The media office for the Emirati government said the country witnessed the largest amount of rainfall in 75 years.
Schools in the United Arab Emirates were closed until the end of the week, while federal government employees were told to work remotely.
At Dubai International Airport, some planes tried to battle through the flood. Its terminals began to reopen early Thursday morning local time, although the airport said on X: "Flights continue to be delayed and disrupted."
54% of flights leaving Dubai International on Tuesday were canceled, according to data from FlightAware. More than 800 flights have been canceled over the past three days.
Do you work for an airline? Reach out to this reporter at psyme@businessinsider.com