The Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopia Airlines, Tewolde Gebremariam, has announced in a press conference the result of the crew members suspected of Covid-19
He said regardless of the measures taken to protect employees from infection, 3 cabin crew had tested positive.
“Despite efforts to protect employees from infection, three cabin crew have so far tested positive for COVID-19,” he said.
“I have been calling them myself, three cabin crew, and they are in a very good health condition,” he noted.
He added that the company has provide employees access to isolation facility.
He further stated that “We have already started that and we have crew members today, as we speak, who have chosen to isolate themselves because of some suspicion.”
The airlines is however bracing for income loss of about $550 million and has stopped most of its scheduled passenger flights, limiting the operations only to cargo and charter operations.
“Ethiopia Airlines is already bracing for income loss of half a billion dollars and has axed most f it scheduled passenger flights, but is turning to cargo and charter operations to soften the blow,” Tewolde said.
He added that “As we speak, Ethiopian Airlines has a lot of revenues of $550million including April. The company is facing a serious financial, operational and commercial crisis.”
He, however, assured the crew that the airline would weather the crisis and there won’t be any reason to lay off any of its 13,000 capacity employees.
“Our plan is to sustain and pass the crisis on our own, but if it is unfortunately prolonged beyond our imagination, we will cross that bridge when we get there,” he added.
