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Dubai's Emirates suspends flights to Guinea over Ebola
An Emirates Airlines aircraft lands at the Emirates terminal at Dubai International Airport. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh
02/08/2014
DUBAI (Reuters) - Dubai's Emirates said it had suspended flights to Guinea, one of the west African countries affected by an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus.
Flights would be suspended from Saturday until further notice, the airline said in a statement on its website. "The safety of our passengers and crew is of the highest priority and will not be compromised," it said
The Ebola outbreak, which began in Guinea and has spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone, has killed more than 700, making it the deadliest since the virus was discovered almost 40 years ago.
International airlines association IATA said on Thursday the World Health Organization was not recommending travel restrictions or border closures due to the outbreak, and there would be a low risk to other passengers if an infected person flew.
Some pan-African carriers have suspended operations to Liberia and Sierra Leone, where Emirates does not fly.
West African leaders agreed on Friday to take stronger measures to try to bring Ebola under control and prevent it spreading outside the region.
Sierra Leone on Wednesday declared a state of emergency and called in troops to isolate Ebola victims.
Emirates said any further actions in connection with the outbreak would be "guided by the advice and updates from the government and international health authorities."
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