Last week, Ethiopian Airlines announced it will be resuming regular services as lockdown restrictions begin to ease. Africa’s largest airline resumed services to Dubai on July 8th, as the country opened for leisure travelers. The carrier said that other routes would be resuming as countries begin to open their airports.
The arrival of the coronavirus pandemic saw Ethiopian Airlines reduce its passenger destinations to just 19, as many routes were suspended to help contain the spread of the virus. However, Ethiopian Airlines is set to ramp up its services in July.
Last week, the carrier announced that it will be resuming regular services to several destinations this month. The announcement comes as lockdown restrictions begin to ease worldwide.
On July 8th, the airline resumed services to Dubai, which is one of its most well-traveled routes. The carrier also announced that it will be resuming flights to Djibouti on July 17th, the same day that lockdown restrictions are lifted in the country.
According to a press statement released last week, the airline said that these resumptions will bring its total number of destinations to 40. It also added that as countries begin to open up their airports for passenger travel, the airline would be announcing further flight resumptions.
Still in due course of last week, several other countries lifted their restrictions. On July 13th, the airline resumed flights to Cameroon. The flights will depart from Addis Ababa to Duala, via Yaoundé before returning to Addis Ababa. The service will initially be offered three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Flights to Frankfurt and London had been operating on a minimal schedule, but the airline announced on social media that it will now be operating daily flights on these routes. Regular flights to Brussels and Paris have also resumed.
This increase in scheduled services is excellent news for Ethiopian Airlines, which, like many airlines, has suffered considerable loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the airline hasn’t been completely grounded during this time.
The carrier has operated many repatriation flights and increased its capacity for operating cargo flights. These cargo flights have enabled the airline to keep running without the help of government aid, while passenger flights remained grounded.
“As countries continue to open their borders and relax travel restrictions, Ethiopian airline is ready to increase frequencies to accommodate the demand by focusing on the wellbeing of customers and staff,” the airline said in a statement.
As airlines begin to announce a return to regular service, it is clear that there will be many changes to the way we travel. Facemasks have become mandatory on a number of flights, including those operated by Ethiopian Airlines. The carrier has also said that all customer-facing staff will be required to wear full personal protective equipment.
Enhanced health screening will be carried out at the airport before departure, and Ethiopian Airlines’ onboard service has been redesigned to minimize contact. Passengers will no longer be allowed to carry cabin baggage aside from essential items such as handbags, laptops, briefcases, and baby items. All luggage must be checked in so that it can be disinfected before it is loaded onto the plane.
Customers are also advised to check the travel restrictions of destinations countries before arriving at the airport. This information is available on the Ethiopian Airlines website.
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