Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways announced it would offer a new type of health insurance that will cover required medical and quarantine costs if needed for all passengers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 during their trip.
The COVID-19 global wellness insurance is a part of the airline‘s new health and hygiene programme. In the press release the airline stated that under the programme, if the passenger is diagnosed with COVID-19 during their trip, all the medical expenses or quarantine costs will be covered by the carrier.
“The safety, health, and wellbeing of our guests and employees is our top priority, during and beyond the flight. The introduction of global COVID-19 insurance builds on stringent measures already in place as part of our Etihad Wellness programme“, Duncan Bureau, the Senior Vice President of Etihad Airways said in the airline press release.
According to the carrier, regardless of the date of booking, all Etihad tickets for travelling between September 8, 2020 and December 31, 2020, will include COVID-19 insurance. The airline announced that passengers who have already booked their flight, are automatically enrolled into the programme.The COVID-19 insurance is valid worldwide for 31 days from the first day of travel.
The airline announced, if a passenger is diagnosed with COVID-19 while being abroad, the insurance will cover medical costs of up to €150,000 as well as quarantine costs of up to €100 a day for 14 days.
“This additional cover will not only instil confidence to travel but also reassure our guests that we are doing all we can to keep them safe and protected. As more countries start opening their borders, we are making it as easy as possible for our guests to plan their next trip, hassle free”, Bureau said.
By this measure the airline seeks to stimulate the decreased passenger demand and boost travel confidence. However, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways was not the first airline to offer COVID-19 insurance.
Earlier in July 2020, Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, presented a free insurance that covers COVID-19 related medical expenses (including funeral costs) and quarantine costs for passengers who travel on board Emirates to and from the UAE and around the world.
