By Matiyas Seifu
In the statement given by Ethiopian Airlines, it was spread on various social media networks that all the international flight ticket sales services provided to foreigners will be in hard currency only. It was pointed out that this does not apply to all passengers and the information is baseless and fabricated.
Following the issuance of the National Bank of Ethiopia's guidelines on the use of foreign currency, the airline has announced that the sale of flight tickets, which previously used to be issued in local currency for trips to Ethiopia from abroad, has been partially prohibited since July 9, 2024, and that the service will be available in foreign currency.
In other words, Ethiopian Airlines has reiterated that it is a guideline to be implemented by all airlines operating in the country. The airline announced that Ethiopians and all foreign nationals with legal documents such as residence permit, yellow card, work permit, diplomatic permit can access the ticket sales service for flights from the country to foreign countries according to the previous procedure.
However, it is mentioned in the statement that foreign nationals who buy their tickets in Ethiopia will have to pay in foreign currency. In order to avoid illicit money transferring where individuals use as an alternative, such procedures and regulations are best opt for.