Ethiopian welcomes passengers back with focus on wellness
With the easing of travel restrictions across the globe, Ethiopian has announced it is welcoming back business and leisure passengers with programs aimed at safeguarding health and safety.
The program 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.
Ato Tewolde G. Mariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian, said, “Ethiopian is proud to be there when the world needed it most - repatriating citizens, re-uniting 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 children under the age 2, all customers must keep their masks on throughout their journey.
All customer-facing staff will wear Personal Protective Equipment, including at ticket offices, airport and lounge staff, as well as cabin crew. Onboard service is redesigned to minimize contact while maintaining the airline's "African flavored Ethiopian hospitality." Items, such as magazines, menus and other reading materials, that were traditionally shared will no longer be available.
Some other safety precautions include:
- All Ethiopian aircraft are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to departing from the hub, and at turnaround stations
- Enhanced health screenings including temperature checks will be conducted
- Passengers must check in their cabin baggage. They’re allowed to bring on board only essential items such as laptops, handbags, briefcases, and baby items, and all checked-in bags will be sanitized before being loaded onto the aircraft
- To reduce contact between customers, boarding will be done in an orderly manner by seat-rows starting from the back of the aircraft towards the front
- In business class complimentary hygiene kits that include masks, antibacterial wipes, and hand sanitizer will be provided
- Comfort items and toys are hygienically sealed
- Onboard lavatories will be sanitized frequently during flight
