ABU DHABI

Emirates Airlines on Monday announced it will resume operating flights to Istanbul, Turkey as of Dec. 21 after a nine-month hiatus due to coronavirus.

The Emirati national carrier said in a statement that with the addition of Istanbul, the number of destinations it covers will rise to 31 cities in Europe.

On March 17, Emirates Airlines canceled flights to Istanbul based on instructions from the UAE Civil Aviation Authority as a part of measures to stem the spread of coronavirus.

On Sunday, flydubai announced the resumption of its flights to Istanbul as of Dec. 17.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat