The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the suspension of Ethiopian Airlines from operating flights from Uganda to the country following COVID-19 restrictions imposed on travelers from Uganda.
Ethiopian Airlines is operating Entebbe-Dubai flights with a stopover in Addis Ababa., and the arrangement is being tested by the latest UAE restrictions because the direct flights to Dubai last about five and half hours. Passengers from Uganda are required by the UAE government to present negative COVID-19 certificates issued within 48 hours and 6 hours before departure.
The Sources at the airport disclosed that “Ethiopian Airlines carried nine passengers from Entebbe whose six-hour test result certificates had expired by the time they landed in Dubai on Monday, September 13. As a result, the UAE directed Ethiopian Airlines to return the affected passengers to Entebbe. The next day, the UAE authorities told Ethiopian Airlines to stop flying passengers from Uganda after failing to comply with the new measures.”
According to Meseret Tstgay, the country manager of Ethiopian Airlines who denied the allegations said that “the UAE has stopped Ethiopian Airlines from flying to Dubai. The airline has submitted an application for approval to the Civil Aviation Authority of UAE to resume flights. while the airline was cleared to resume flights from Entebbe on September 9, UAE slapped the airline with a travel ban mid-week.”
"We received the communication from UAE at midday and yet 15 passengers going to Dubai had already boarded our 2:45 pm flight for that day, so we engaged Emirates and they flew our passengers to Dubai on the same day."
Tstgay added that “the airline advises passengers who had pre-booked flights to reschedule them because Ethiopian Airlines was still having talks with UAE authorities over the travel requirements.
Meanwhile, passengers have been advised to book only direct flights or flights with a short stopover to the UAE to avoid such occurrences, as it is very risky to book long layover flights to their destinations when restrictive measures are still in place.
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