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Health Alert for U.S. Citizens May 8, 2020
7 MINUTE READ
May 8, 2020

Ethiopian Airlines Portal Error Resolved. Seats Still Available.

Location: Somalia

Event: The U.S. Embassy has collaborated with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) to establish a charter flight from Mogadishu (MGQ) to Dulles, Virginia (IAD), departing on Thursday, May 14 with a stop in Addis Ababa. ET alerted us of a portal error which they have since resolved. Tickets can be purchased online on a first-come, first-serve basis in two steps:

  • Step 1: All passengers must first book a ticket to Addis Ababa using the link below. https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/aa/en/special-offer?key=US-Embassy-Evacuation-Charter-MGQ.
    • All passengers must read the terms and conditions before booking.
    • Passengers traveling to the United States should be U.S. Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents and their immediate family members with valid entry documents for the United States.
    • Passengers must select the portal’s ‘One-Way’ ticket option.
    • The platform accepts credit cards only, even though other forms of payment like MPESA might be listed.
    • On the menu selection please accept Economy Class since this is the only service available.
    • On the menu selection for “number of passengers” use only the adult portion even if there are children/infants among the passenger group.
  • Step 2: Next, to book your onward flight to Dulles, VA, please book separately on the Ethiopian airlines website: https://www.ethiopianairlines.com.
    • Travelers will need proof of a confirmed onward connection to board the initial flight from Mogadishu to Addis Ababa.

The Embassy strongly urges all U.S. citizens considering a departure from Somalia to book seats on this flight immediately. A decision to pass on this flight is, for all intents and purposes, a decision to shelter in place for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no guarantee that future flights will be available. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Reminder: U. S. Embassy Mogadishu strongly recommends that U.S. Citizens and nationals enroll in STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, at step.state.gov. STEP enrollees receive important information from the Embassy about health conditions, safety alerts, and travel updates. Enrollment enables the Embassy to contact you in the event of an emergency. If you have previously enrolled in STEP, we recommend that you log into your STEP account to ensure your details are current, your country of travel information is correct, and that you set your departure date as ‘indefinite.’ These steps will enable you to receive all our embassy messaging. For any immediate need, U.S. citizens in an emergency can call 1-888-407-4747 from the United States and Canada or (plus) 1-202-501-4444 from overseas.

Actions to Take:

Assistance:

U.S. Embassy Nairobi, Kenya
United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
+254 (0) 20 363 6451
+254 (0) 20 363 6170 (after hours)
kenya_acs@state.gov

State Department – Consular Affairs
1-888-407-4747 from the United States and Canada
+1-202-501-4444 from overseas (Somalia)

Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts
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