March 29, 2024

Nigeria Transport Hub

…the epicentre for all transport modes

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINE BANNED FROM CHINA

2 min read

Ethiopian Airline, new headquarter at Bole

The Federal Government of Nigeria’s most dependable airline, Ethiopian Airline, has been handed a ban by the Chinese aviation authorities, unlike in Nigeria where government sees ET as infallible.

The Civil Aviation Authority of China, CAAC, announced the ban after a total number of six (6) passengers on Ethiopian Airlines’ flight ET684, tested positive of COVID-19, on arrival at Pudong airport from Addis Ababa.

Hence, the CAAC on its official tweeter handle yesterday, Wednesday, 26th August, announced that with immediate effect, all Ethiopian Airlines flights from Addis Ababa to Shanghai are hereby suspended.

According to China’s civil aviation authority’s policy, if all inbound passengers on an airline tested negative for three weeks in a row, such airline will be allowed to increase its number of flights to two per week, and not through personal or business contact even with the highest personage in Chinese government.

CAAC’s policy further stipulated that, if five passengers tested positive, the airline’s flights will be suspended for a week. Whereas, if ten (10) passengers from the same flight were found positive, the airline will bag four (4) weeks suspension.

In consonance to that wholesomely patriotic parameters, few of the gulf airlines had been found culpable. For example, Etihad Airways’ flight EY862 from Abu Dhabi to Shanghai had been suspended for one week, beginning from last week Tuesday, 18th August, 2020.

However, Etihad Airways’ suspension was prolonged for another one week beginning from 24th August when more imported COVID-19 cases were detected from another flight but by the same airline.

Other airlines found not living up to the new normal as set by China’s government to protect Chinese are, China Eastern Airline. Its flight MU212 from Manila to Shanghai had twice been suspended by the CAAC for a total of two weeks from 17th August through 30th August.

It is hoped that Nigeria would borrow a leaf from China’s modus operandi to mitigate spread of COVID-19 through air travel.

Share
0Shares
Total Page Visits: 780 - Today Page Visits: 1

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.