On the up and up: Ethiopian Airlines outlines expansion plans

THIS year will be a pivotal
one for Ethiopian Airlines,
rated Africa’s largest and
most profitable airline group,
as it expands its route
network and builds a new
airport in Addis Ababa to
accommodate the growing
capacity.
ET will launch a third daily
flight to Johannesburg in
April, which Abel Alemu,
regional manager for
Southern Africa, says is
a sure indication of the
airline’s success story
in this part of the world.
“This is an indication yet
again of how successful ET
has been in South Africa,
having started with only
one departure that went up
to two last year – one in
the afternoon and one at
midnight,” he explains.
In March, ET will launch
flights to Buenos Aires and
Nosy Be, and in June to
Chicago and Geneva. Also in
March, the airline will launch
non-stop flights to Toronto
and Washington. Both flights
currently have a technical
stop in Dublin. ET will still fly
to Dublin as its Los Angeles
flight has a technical
stopover. The non-stop
Toronto flight will provide the
quickest way for passengers
to get from Johannesburg to
Canada. Other routes in the
pipeline include Barcelona,
Berlin, Istanbul, Jakarta,
Kisangani and Mbuji-Mayi.
ET expects the new airport
to be fully functional by the
end of the year. It will have a
Pay Lounge and hotel owned
by the airline, which will also
be open by year end.
The airline is also
implementing a 15-year
strategic plan, Vision 2015,
which will culminate in seven
strategic business units.