18 Mar 2021

Ethiopian Airlines UK Flights temporary suspension - update 17th March 2021

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Due to the inclusion of Ethiopia on the red list from Friday 19th March 2021 until further notice, Ethiopian Airlines has made necessary adjustments to its UK (Heathrow and Manchester) operations. 

We shall continue to operate cargo-only flights into Heathrow and Manchester and shall continue to operate passenger flights from Heathrow and Manchester.  These flights can be sold as normal through GDS for outbound travel - return journeys can currently be booked for travel on/after 1st May 2021, in line with conditions stated below.  

Effective 19th March 2021, foreign nationals travelling from/via Addis Ababa to UK will not be accepted for travel to Heathrow and/or Manchester - this includes transit passengers who might only be passing through Ethiopia’s Bole International Airport.  In addition, British nationals who are still allowed to travel or transit through Addis Ababa to UK (not on ET direct services) will be forced into mandatory hotel quarantine for 10-days and at a cost of £1,750 per person, per current UK government regulations.

Passengers who have already commenced their journey (partially used tickets) from UK and are impacted by these restrictions, can be rebooked/re-protected as below for travel until 30th April 2021:

  1. Rebook free of charge to nearest ET online European gateway (ET operated flights only) destination within the same cabin and same booking class. When using this option, please ensure customers are aware of the necessary travel requirements to transit through respective countries.   The originally issued ticket must be reissued in line with above guidelines and the endorsement field of the reissued ticket must be updated with remarks "INVOL REROUTE RED".
  2. Rebook for a future date when travel restrictions are lifted, subject to availability.  No rebooking charges shall apply. 
  3. Purchase other airline ticket at passenger’s own cost/expense – this option is entirely at passenger’s own discretion.  Ethiopian Airlines may refund any residual value of its partially used ticket, if any.  Refunds should be processed through BSP application for agency issued tickets and directly through Ethiopian Airlines for tickets issued by the airline.

Passengers who have already purchased their tickets but not yet commenced their journey (fully unutilized tickets) from UK: Impacted passengers who would like to make changes to their trip can be rebooked as below for travel until 30th April 2021:

  1. Keep your ticket and rebook free of charge for a future date within the same season, booking class and routing when the restrictions are lifted, without paying any fare difference.
  2. Submit ticket for full refund without any cancellation fees.  Refunds should be processed through BSP application for agency issued tickets and directly through Ethiopian Airlines for tickets issued by the airline.

Travelers seeking to enter the UK should refer to the UK government website for the latest information on entry requirements and isolation/quarantine arrangements on arrival.  Current updated information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19

Passengers must hold the correct documentation to travel and trade partners can continue to use the IATA Travel Centre guide through this link: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/GB-United-Kingdom-passport-visa-health-travel-document-requirements.htm?dm_i=2OIE,14DOH,11I1E0,4BI58,1

Please feel free to get in touch through return email or by calling 0208 987 2480 should you require any further information.

Thank you for your continued support during these turbulent times - we are working hard to bounce back from these setbacks and be back on track very soon!