Emirates flight EK2021 departed Dubai over the weekend and was sending more than just passengers into the air - it was sending a message to travellers that the airline is ready to tackle the challenges of travel in the months and years to come.
The almost entirely full Airbus A380 with nearly 400 passengers fully vaccinated against COVID-19 onboard flew the skies above the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday.
Carrying the symbolic flight number of 2021, the flight took place to celebrate both the state and the airline's "remarkable progress in vaccinating its citizens and residents from COVID-19", with close to nine million vaccines doses to date administered in the UAE.
It wasn't just fully vaccinated passengers and crew onboard the flight involved either. Everyone involved in the operation of the flight on the ground were also vaccinated in an effort to demonstrate the "readiness of the UAE's aviation eco-system to support the safe rebound of air travel".
Emirates, alongside Qatar Airways, has maintained a high number of services throughout the pandemic by providing cargo services and seats for people who needed to travel or repatriate.
The UAE currently has one of the world's highest rates of vaccinations for its citizens and residents, claiming 90.22 doses per 100 people.
The Emirates Group vaccination programme has reportedly delivered COVID-19 shots to over 35,000 employees.
And there was an added bonus for those lucky enough to be vaccinated and on the flight - the airline used its newest A380, fitted with brand-new Premium Economy seats and refreshed cabin interiors.
