Socio-cultural Issues
Covid-19 as a Socio-cultural Issue
With a new era comes a new set of challenges and issues affecting the global community forcing global brands such as Emirates and Etihad to acclimate and adapt their ways to new and different circumstances. Some of the socio-cultural issues in the present era are:
For this era, the socio-cultural issue we will be discussing in relation to Emirates and Etihad is the global pandemic Covid-19. Although many may not consider Covid-19 to be a socio-cultural issue and rather look at it from a medical and health-related lense, which is a valid point of discussion because it is a virus that attacks the body and can have long-lasting implications on one's health, and in many cases, Covid has taken the lives of people in every single part of the world. However, in this section of the paper, we will only discuss the pandemic from a socio-cultural perspective.
Covid-19 in many ways has amplified the existing social and racial divide. In research studies conducted by the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the data reported that minority ethnic groups in the USA, such as African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans reported higher cases of deaths in comparison to white Americans. In addition to other vulnerable groups with a similar socioeconomic background such as immigrants which make up a total of 46.7 million, 11 million are undocumented. (“The Covid-19 Pandemic Continues”, n.d) which therefore means that they are living in poor conditions with very limited access to adequate healthcare and in the fear of being deported and facing legal consequences due to the status of their residency. All of these pre-existing factors that are a result of systematic and institutionalised racism put these groups in a high-risk position of contracting the virus.
Covid-19 has also had implications on other industries, one of which is the aviation industry. With lockdown and social distancing measures implemented globally, there was a sudden steep plunge in demand. Data from The International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed that during April 2020 passenger traffic was its lowest, falling by 94.3%. (Rooly,2020). In the 2020-2021 business report released by Emirates reported a loss of 20.3 billion AED while revenue fell by 66% during the lockdown period that resulted in the suspension of flights. Furthermore, Emirates had let go of 31% of their total workforce in order to maintain costs. A business report released by Etihad Airways states that the airlines witnessed a fall in passengers by 76% while they also laid off a large percentage of their employees. (Reuters,2020)
How Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways leveraged Covid-19 in their AIMC
Emirates Humanitarian aid flights
During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, both Emirates and Etihad operated humanitarian flights carrying a load of medical supplies to various countries that were struggling to control the spread of the virus. In May 2021, Emirates had sent free-of-charge cargo flights with medical relief to 9 cities in India. “India and Emirates are deeply connected, since our first flights to India in 1985. We stand with the Indian people and will do all we can to help India get back on its feet.” - Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. (Emirates Media Center, 2021)
Furthermore, The Abu Dhabi airline volunteered with 106 humanitarian flights sent to a total of 54 countries across the world supplying both medical and food aid in support of other nations fighting to combat the disease. In a moment of pride and standing in solidarity with the rest of the world, the UAE announced that they were successfully able to support approximately of 1 million medical front line workers through volunteering personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and food aid. (Gulf Business,2021)
Etihad wellness program
The national airline has launched the first of its kind Wellness program prioritizing the health and safety of all Etihad passengers and staff. The program takes further measurements in addition to the existing safety regulations to ensure both passengers and staff peace of mind. Etihad is also one of the first airlines in the world to ensure that all cabin crew and pilots are fully vaccinated, furthermore, the airlines have made negative Covid test results a prerequisite before flying which therefore ensures the safety and comfort of all Etihad passengers.
Figure 33: Etihad Airways cabin crew uniforms following covid-19 precautions
In addition, the program also has a team of wellness ambassadors that are available 24/7 to provide support, answer and clarify questions and concerns that passengers might have. The team exists on the ground at the Abu Dhabi International Airport as well as through live chat.
Moreover, the airline's wellness program includes Wellness Insurance that is attached with every flight ticket purchased. It is global insurance that covers passengers' Covid-19 medical and quarantine expenses, regardless of destination. The insurance is valid for 31 days from the date of the passenger’s flight. The insurance initiative is said to be valid up until the 31st of March, 2022. (Etihad, n.d)
Emirates Covid-19 rapid testing
In further efforts made to ensure the safety of passengers traveling by Emirates, the airlines joined forces alongside the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) creating Covid-19 rapid blood testing done at the airport, with test results made available within only 10 minutes. Emirates became the first global airline to conduct on-site testing to ensure the safety of all travelers.
(Emirates Media Center.2020)
Figure 34: Emirates Airlines Rapid Covid-19 testing
