January 29, 2019 (Ezega.com) - Ethiopian Airlines that’s the largest aviation entity in the continent and a SKYTRAK licensed 4-star carrier, stated it will revamp its operations in America; opening up new destinations, increasing flights and changing entryways by the summer of 2019.
The new U.S. network intends to offer travelers between America and the rest of Africa the shortest routes and the best connectivity, whether they are on official state visits, vacation or business.
Consequently, flights to Washington D.C. will be increased to ten per week. The three additional flights will depart Addis Ababa in the morning, pass through Abidjan and arrive in Washington in the evening.
The weekly flights to Chicago are set to increase from three to five. From the scheduled daily flights to New York, four will make stopovers in Lomé to Newark, and three will fly to Abidjan then make their way to the JFK airport. Conversely, the airline will establish a new gateway, Houston which replaces Los Angeles. Flights to this destination will be three times per week, via West Africa.
The new gateway will be the only link between Africa and Houston and is meant to expedite the traveling of the huge African community living in the area, and other companies operating globally. Passengers traveling between Houston and Africa will enjoy flying in Boeing 787, which boasts of the latest aircraft technology and unmatched onboard luxury.
Regarding the restructuring, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said “The U.S. is among our most important markets owing to the presence of a large African community and growing business and tourism ties with Africa. Our new route structure with additional frequencies to multiple gateways and the opening of new routes to Houston are aimed at responding to the market demand and availing best possible connectivity to over 60 African destinations.”
But why has Ethiopian Airlines managed to achieve all this success compared to other airlines on the continent?
Despite the carrier being state-owned, it operates independently. The state doesn’t meddle in its operations. This is one of the reasons why the current C.E.O. Tewolde GebreMariam, who has served since 2011 has survived Ethiopia’s recent political changes.
The Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sacked senior staff members from other government-owned entities, but Tewolde and his team remained in office, meaning the carrier’s vision is still intact. Another reason is that under his leadership, the airline has made significant progress. Its net profit in the financial year 2017/2018 grew to $233 million from $229 million the previous year. The company’s net revenue grew by 43% to $3.7 billion. Based on these figures, no airline in Africa can match its success.
In line with its 2025 strategic roadmap, Ethiopian Airlines has been growing its worldwide destinations that are now more than 119. Mogadishu, Manchester, and Moscow are some of the new destinations launched recently. As many would say, the sky is the limit for the state-owned carrier.