Viral: Emirates cabin crew braves historic Dubai floods with all smiles
Nothing stands in the way of the Emirates cabin crew, not even United Arab Emirates' heaviest rainfall in 75 years.
Amid all the nightmares unfolding with Dubai's historic rainfall and floods, a group of Emirates flight attendants went viral for their all-smiles professional demonstration, finding happiness in the little things.
A Wednesday statement from the UAE Media Office reported on X/Twitter that the country witnessed its heaviest downpour in 75 years. Some areas even recorded more than 250mm of rain in less than a day. As rainfall wreaked havoc on the streets, uprooting countless trees in its path, the nation's tourist hub Dubai's flights were also cancelled. Per United Nations data stated by CNN, Dubai succumbed to the disastrous unravelling with nearly 4 inches of rain swelling the tourist destination in just 12 hours, which reportedly rounds out the yearly UAE city's rain record.
With submerged cars on the streets, chaos also ensued at Dubai Airport amidst the deadly storms. While operations at the airport are disrupted, some inbound flights resumed on Thursday. Per BBC, the unusually record-high rains and ensuing floods killed 20 people in Oman and one in the UAE.
Prevailing strong in the disorderly state, the Emirates crew personnel isn't deterred by record-breaking precipitation. Here are some viral moments featuring the cabin crew officials making fierce strides.
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Emirate cabin crew defies the menacing fury of historic Dubai rains
The unprecedented rains hitting the oasis in the desert didn't restrain the determined conviction of Emirates flight attendants. Setting unmatched standards for professionalism, a day-old viral video on Instagram pictured a flight attendant wading in knee-deep flood water to get to the airport.
Digital creator Jay Robert took to Instagram, demonstrating a crew member striving for “perfect attendance” despite the flood's raging fury.
He wrote, “Proof nothing will stand between crew and sleep, Emirates crew wade flood waters in Dubai in efforts to get home after long flights. The emirate of Dubai was forecasted to get as much as 128mm (5 inches) of rain today.”
The post shared via blogger A Fly Guy's Instagram page dedicated to the “official famous Crew Lounge,” per the profile's bio, received overwhelming praise. The Crew Lounge commented below, “The first one is carrying laundry which probably means she was going for the. Flight... um safe to say you no longer meet grooming standards hun... that's how scared EK crew are of getting an absent.”
Internet users came together to laud the efforts of the crews with comments like “Not to forget the ground staff as well!! They are the most unsung heroes !!!” and “You might think this is fun, but it's actually really dark when you realize EK crew are under so much pressure by their ruthless management...” Some others even put the case to scrutiny, questioning, “Safety for passengers but what about safety for the staff?”
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In another video from TikTok user @farahalaiwi, which made it to X/Twitter, an Emirates cabin crew was seen moving forward despite the storm. In order to save themselves, but more importantly, their uniforms from falling victim to the rain, the employees shielded themselves with layers of plastic coverings and bags - whatever was at their disposal.
The TikTok video particularly roused heartwarming interest as the crew members flashed their ebullient smiles through it all, swaying aside from the solemn mood established by the storm.
Garnering laughs alike from the internet, the crew members and their dedication instantly became favourites. The video equally attracted lighthearted concerns as responses like “Time to design rain coats for your crew @emirates” popped up online.