Ethiopian Airlines Celebrates 78th Anniversary

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s biggest carrier, has celebrated its 78th anniversary with a special flight to Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday 7th April 2024.

Senior management and staff of the airline, including Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew provided special hospitality services for customers aboard. It also extended its “warmest wishes to all observing the fasting season”.

The airline started its operation with five C-47 aircraft operating its debut fight to Cairo via Asmara on April 8, 1946. Ever since, it has been growing in leaps and bounds and continued to introduce cutting-edge aviation technology and systems.

In its 78 years of joining the aviation industry, the airline is said to have overcome many challenges and successfully become the largest air transport company in Africa.

As aviation technology leader, Ethiopian was a pioneer in ushering in new aviation technology into Africa, including the first jet airplane as well as the first B767, B777-200LR, B787 Dreamliner, and787-9 in the continent. The airline also led the way in operating Africa’s first Airbus A350 XWB.

Currently, Ethiopian has a fleet of over 147 modern aircraft with an average fleet age of less than seven years, and it has also more than 100 ultramodern aircraft on order. The airline also bought the first ultra-modern Airbus (A350-900) aircraft in Africa and put them into operation.

Chief Commercial Officer Lemma stated that Ethiopian Airlines is one of the pioneers in connecting Africa with Europe and the rest of the world. The employees’ dedication, strong strategic leadership, modern operations backed by cutting-edge technology, and others contributed for the success of the airline.

Ethiopian Airlines became a member of Star Alliance on December 2011, the chief commercial officer said, adding that this allowed it to excel in its role in the world’s huge air transport network.

The airline was able to achieve 25 percent growth in the plan according to the 15-year goal set by Vision 2025, he said via ENA. According to him, the roadmap for Vision 2035 is already showing results.

Ethiopian Airlines currently has over 135 international destinations with 147 aircraft. In the cargo service, 67 international cities are covered by 16 planes. It is also accelerating regional integration by flying to 63+ cities in Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines has set ambitious goals for its future, aiming to increase annual revenue to 25 billion USD and transport 67 million passengers annually by 2035.