Cabin crew, boarding agents or ground staff will wear protective disposable gowns and safety visors, in addition to face masks and gloves.

At Emirates base in Dubai, gloves and masks are now mandatory for passengers and employees, as are thermal scans upon entering the airport.

Distancing indicators have been placed around the airport’s waiting areas for check-in and boarding, while protective barriers have been installed at check-in desks to increase safety during face-to-face interactions over the counter.

Onboard, seats are being pre-allocated with vacant seats between individual passengers or family groups to meet social distancing requirements.

In-flight food and drink is being offered in "bento-style" boxes to reduce contact between crew and customers; magazines and print reading materials have been temporarily removed.

Cabin baggage is being limited to laptops, handbags, briefcases and baby items. All other items must be checked in.

Passengers must wear their masks and gloves throughout their journey from check-in until they disembark.

All Emirates aircraft, meanwhile, will go through enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes in Dubai after each journey.

It comes after Emirates last week revealed it had successfully tested all passengers for coronavirus ahead of a flight to Tunisia. It plans to scale up its pre-flight testing regime in the near future.