"This is an unprecedented crisis situation," Emirates chairman and CEO said The decision is a major one for the Dubai-based airline GAZA: Long-haul carrier Emirates says it will suspend passenger flights beginning Wednesday over the new coronavirus outbreak. The decision is a major one for the Dubai-based airline built on linking the East to the West. The airline"s SkyCargo fleet will continue to operate. The airline also said passenger flights to countries with borders open and with a strong enough passenger demand would also still operate. A statement from the carrier quoted Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, its chairman and CEO, as saying: “The world has literally gone into quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is an unprecedented crisis situation in terms of breadth and scale: geographically, as well as from a health, social, and economic standpoint.” He added: “We find ourselves in a situation where we cannot viably operate passenger services until countries re-open their borders, and travel confidence returns.”