Ethiopian, Africa’s largest airline, announced that it is welcoming back business and leisure travelers with programs aimed at safeguarding their health and safety, following the ease of travel restrictions around the globe.

The airline, in a statement sent to 2merkato.com, recalled it was "the go-to airline for essential travel, repatriation flights and airlift of medical and personal protective equipment (PPE)" even before the pandemic.

The program reinforces Ethiopian's pledge to protect the health and safety of its customers and staff, the statement read. It includes the steps the airline is taking to maintain customer and staff wellbeing through-out the service chain beginning from the first interaction with customers during ticketing/reservation and up to arrival at destination.

Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian, noted that “Ethiopian is proud to be there when the world needed it most - repatriating citizens, reuniting families, facilitating essential travel and transporting much needed medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) for health professionals and the general public under very difficult and challenging circumstances. We are proud to be an integral part of the fight against COVID-19. Now we want to play a leading role in the new normal. To a very large extent, it’s about getting back the confidence of business and leisure travelers. With the protective measures we are taking in line with CDC, IATA, ICAO, and WHO guidelines, customers and staff can rest assured that their safety and health are well looked after when flying with us”.

Customers are advised to check travel restrictions of destination countries prior to arriving at the airport for a flight. Facemasks will be mandatory for travel. Except for children under the age of two, all customers must keep their masks on throughout their journey. 

All customer-facing staff will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). This includes ticket offices, airport and lounge staff, as well as cabin crew. Onboard service is redesigned to minimize contact while maintaining our African flavored Ethiopian hospitality. Items, such as magazines, menus, and other reading materials, that were traditionally shared will no longer be available.

Source: Ethiopian Airlines press release sent to 2merkato.com