Of the 270 aircraft in its fleet, Emirates had initially parked and wrapped up 218 aircraft \u2013 117 at Dubai World Central and 101 at Dubai International airport \u2013 that involved more than 15,500 man-hours of work.<\/p>\n
Now around 75 Emirates aircraft, both passenger and freighter, are crisscrossing the planet carrying people on repatriation and cargo on essential missions. These continue to be maintained as per standard operating procedures. Some aircraft are undergoing scheduled heavy maintenance in Emirates Engineering\u2019s hangars.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been done before<\/strong><\/p>\n Routinely, Emirates covers all aircraft that are taken out of operations for more than 48 hours. Much before the pandemic, Emirates has had to cover a significant part of its fleet during the runway closures at Dubai International airport, and even during the 2010 volcanic ash cloud disaster that partially grounded the fleet.<\/p>\n Securing the fleet and ultra-sensitive avionics systems<\/strong><\/p>\n All apertures and openings through which environmental factors \u2013 sand, dirt, water, birds and insects \u2013 can find their way inside an aircraft are wrapped up and made watertight. That includes engines and air data probes \u2013 such as pitot, static, temperature, angle of attack sensors \u2013\u00a0engine intakes and exhausts, and APU intakes and exhausts.<\/p>\n The interiors \u2013 whether cabin monuments, seats or inflight entertainment equipment \u2013 are also protected from the elements. Potable water systems and aircraft fuel tanks are preserved, and engine and APU systems are protected. The process also involves the greasing, cleaning and preservation of landing gear and flight control systems. The team turns off all cockpit switches, disconnects batteries, and installs control lever locks and window blinds.<\/p>\n Routine checks<\/strong><\/p>\n After concluding the protection and preservation works, the team completes periodic checks at 7-, 15- and 30-day intervals across the fleet. These can include simple walk-around inspections to ensure all covers are in place, and there are no visible damages or external leaks. Complex checks include removing the covers and reactivating aircraft systems, idling engines and testing engine bleed air and flight control systems.<\/p>\n Reactivating the fleet<\/strong><\/p>\n Ahmed Safa said: \u201cWe need around 4-5 dedicated employees and at least 18-24 hours to put one of our aircraft back into service. Our customers and our employees can\u2019t wait to see our majestic A380s and our powerful 777s grace the skies again, operating our normal schedules and delighting travellers worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.dubaicityguide.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/500_dji-0089retouch.png\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"