The French government is suspending Ethiopian Airlines for four days over a failure to ensure passengers have had negative coronavirus tests, the transport ministry announced Wednesday.

"Several shortcomings were noted on the arrival in France of flights of the Ethiopian Airlines company," the ministry said in a statement.

"It is up to the company to check that each passenger on board has a document showing a negative PCR (Covid-19) test," it added.

France warned the Ethiopian flag carrier on Tuesday but, after fresh shortcomings on Wednesday, it "decided to suspend flights by the company from Thursday January 28 to Sunday January 31 inclusive," the statement said.

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal had earlier Wednesday said Paris wants to consider a Europe-wide "strengthening of border rules" and "sanctions against airlines" outside the European Union which do not ensure the necessary virus checks on passengers.

Such sanctions could lead to "a temporary or definitive ban" on landing or taking off at French airports, he added.