France Suspends Inbound Flights Operated By Ethiopian Airlines - Transport Ministry

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2021) France on Wednesday suspended inbound flights operated by Ethiopia's flag carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, over violations of certain coronavirus-related regulations, French Secretary of State for Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said.

"A negative PCR test result is required for all travelers arriving in France by plane. Airlines must verify this upon departure. Breaches have been identified with Ethiopian Airlines. Therefore, we decided to suspend their flights to France," Djebbari wrote on Twitter.

Earlier in the day, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said that Paris was proposing the European level discussions on tightening border control rules and the possibility of imposing sanctions on airlines that do not meet the PCR test requirements.

The government is also considering the implementation of a tough lockdown in combination with other COVID-19 related restrictions after the recently extended curfew failed to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

On January 14, French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced that a night-time curfew in France would start at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.

To date, France has confirmed nearly 3,140,000 COVID-19 infections, with a death toll surpassing 74,000. The country registered 22,143 new cases over the past 24 hours.