Emirates has been rated the safest airline in the world in its response to the COVID-19 Pandemic according to the Safe Travel Barometer.
The airline, which has set industry-leading safety standards since the resumption of its operations back in May, has topped the ranks with a ‘Safe Travel Score’ of 4.4 out of 5.0 among 230+ airlines evaluated worldwide. The score is based on an independent audit of 26 health and safety parameters evaluating safety protocols, traveller convenience and service excellence announced by airlines.
Safe Travel Barometer is the world’s most comprehensive solution to monitor and benchmark supplier initiatives in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry for the post-COVID world. Its rating mechanism considers safety measures and hygiene standards across all touchpoints of a traveller’s journey which Emirates has consistently delivered on. At every step of the journey, Emirates has spared no effort to prioritise the care, health and safety of its customers, employees and communities.
Emirates tops global ranking in safe travel
Ethiopians participate in an online awareness campaign to fight COVID-19
As part of its global response to fight COVID-19 internationally, the UAE launched an online awareness campaign for community immunity, which drew over one million participants from all over the world, including Ethiopia.
Launched since March 2020, the online Campaign is conducted by the UAE-based Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as an effort of (UAEAID) which represents the UAE’s contributions to promote global peace and prosperity through foreign aid.
(1196) Ethiopians took part in the Campaign, of which (197) were female. The participants will contribute to the community based activities and advocacy to raise awareness on how to prevent and control the spread of the virus in Ethiopia. Female participation was an important aspect as the UAE is keen to prioritize women in its humanitarian initiatives, given the great role played by women in the fight against the pandemic.
The Campaign features four online courses that provide crucial information on methods of prevention and controlling the spread of COVID-19 and engage people from all walks of life to play a part in the fight against the pandemic and deal with its social and psychological impacts.
Ethio Lease distributes 10 combine harvesters
Ethio Lease, Ethiopia’s first privately-held and foreign-owned equipment leasing company, continued its efforts to modernize Ethiopia’s agricultural sector, by presenting 85 combine harvesters to beneficiaries, including 10 to Ethiopian Agricultural Business Corporation (EABC). The equipment, representing more than $16 million in investment, was distributed today at an event held in Bishoftu, southeast of the capital.
In his remarks, Ethio Lease CEO Girum Tsegaye said, “The equipment delivered here will be of paramount importance to our farmers and generate new economic activity for Ethiopia, by increasing efficiency and yield in Ethiopia’s harvest and bolstering the fight against the locust swarms that the country continues to face today.”
Since August 2019, Ethio Lease has endeavored to improve farming mechanization in Ethiopia, first by leasing 60 tractors to farmers in different parts of Ethiopia worth $4.2 million. According to Girum, these latest harvester deliveries will create a significant impact, both boosting productivity and mitigating the losses generated by more traditional farming practices and unforeseen environmental issues like the locusts.
“These combine harvesters will produce more than half a million tons of barley and wheat per annum, with an annual local market value of $225 million. That is enough to bake two billion loaves of bread,” Degol Gossaye, VP Marketing and Sales of Ethio Lease said. “They will also benefit the equivalent of 180,000 smallholder farmers, reduce harvest losses to the tune of $66 million per annum, and create or sustain 850 direct and 34,000 indirect jobs.”
Ethio Lease, a subsidiary of Africa Asset Finance Company Inc. (AAFC), began operations in August 2019 after receiving a license from the National Bank of Ethiopia, the first of its kind, and continues to address the equipment shortage and foreign exchange (FX) challenges faced in Ethiopia, providing bespoke equipment financing and a wide range of leasing services for multiple sectors including agriculture, healthcare, energy, food and coffee processing, and manufacturing, among other verticals.
Ethio Lease buys and imports equipment and oversees maintenance and proper use throughout its lease period. To date, the company has signed leasing agreements with more than 100 customers for more than 200 equipment units of various types.
