The airline said passengers on direct and transit flights from Ghana, Angola, Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe will not be permitted to travel to Dubai from December 28, 2021.

It added that outbound passenger operations from Dubai to these destinations remain unaffected.

"Affected customers do not need to call us immediately for rebooking. Customers can simply hold on to their Emirates ticket and when flights resume, get in touch with their travel agent or booking office to make new travel plans," Emirates said.

"Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused. In order to receive the latest updates on their flights, customers are also advised to ensure that their contact details are updated by visiting Manage Your Booking."

The move is the latest restriction on global travel aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19, particularly in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant.