The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ethiopian Airlines

  • Award for Ethiopian Airlines

    Award for Ethiopian Airlines

    Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline in Africa, is pleased to announce that it has won the Airline of the Year Award for the second time in a row at MICE Magazine’s 8th Annual Industry Golden Chair Awards held in Beijing, China on April 1.

    The annual Golden Chair Award is one of the most influential awards in China and ranks airlines, hotels, travel agencies and tourism destinations with the best performance.

    Ethiopian Group CEO, Tewolde GebreMariam, said: “We are honoured to receive this award for the second year in a row. I wish to thank MICE Magazine and, above all, our esteemed customers from China for their vote of confidence.

    “Ethiopian has become the airline of choice for Chinese travellers between China, Africa and Brazil. We offer the best and fastest connectivity options with a total of 28 weekly flights to four gateways in China that are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and with immediate connection to 49 destinations in Africa and Sao Paulo in Brazil. All the flights are operated with the latest and most comfortable aircraft, the 787 and 777.

    “Thanks to our codeshare agreement with our fellow Star Alliance partner, Air China, we avail seamless and convenient connections with one ticket and the ability to accrue and redeem frequent flyer miles on the two airlines.

    “Going forward, given the growing economic and people-to-people ties between Africa and China, we will expand our reach in China, Africa and Brazil with new destinations and more frequencies with a view to enhance our service to our customers from China”. In 2014, Ethiopian received the Best Airline to Africa Award by Premier Traveller, one of the most prominent travel magazines in the United States.

    Ethiopian has also been awarded  the Best Airline in Africa and African Airline of the Year awards by Passenger Choice and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA).

    In 2015, Ethiopian was recognized as the Best Regional Airline by Air Transport World, the global leading aviation publication. Ethiopian is a pan-African global carrier, member of Star Alliance, operating the youngest fleet on the continent with an average of less than seven years and currently serving 85 international destinations across five continents with over 200 daily departures.

  • ‘Why Nigeria needs national carrier’

    ‘Why Nigeria needs national carrier’

    Nigeria needs a national carrier to develop its air transport sector as well as serve as a platform to strategically position herself as a continental leader, the Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr Tewolde Gabremariam, has said.

    He said the establishment of a carrier would help to liberalise air transport, create jobs and act as an incentive for foreign direct investment (FDI).

    According to him, the best way to achieve such a national carrier is to utilise the right model driven by cooperation and partnership with carriers within the African continent

    He said without having a carrier, foreign carriers would continue to dominate market share in the continent, which is currently patterned on a 80 per cent basis in favour of foreign carriers as against the market share of 20 per cent for African carriers.

    Gabremariam said Ethiopian Airlines would be willing to assist the government to set up a national carrier if requested for.

    He said Ethiopian Airlines would be favourably disposed to having discussions with officials of the Federal Government on how to set up a national carrier.

    A national carrier for Nigeria, he said, would be strategic to accelerate socio – economic development of the continent, because air transport has the capacity to move thousands of passengers across national borders at a cost relatively cheaper than rail or road transportation.

    He said: “‘Nigeria needs a national carrier for strategic reasons. The national carrier would be useful in good times and at bad times.

    “The question that experts and industry watchers are asking is what kind of national carrier. There are different models to be adopted in setting up a national carrier. The Nigerian government would require cooperation and partnership with other African carriers. Ethiopian Airlines is interested in assisting Nigeria to set up a national carrier.

    “This is important because the national carrier would create jobs, attract foreign direct investment and enhance development. Africa needs home-grown carriers to develop air transport on the continent.

    “This is because air transport is cheaper to develop compared with other modes of transportation including road and rail.”

  • Ethiopian Airlines gets award

    Ethiopian Airlines has received the “Best Airline to Africa” by one of the most prominent travel magazines in the United States, Premier Traveler.

    On the award, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines Group, Tewolde Gebremariam, said: “We are honoured that Premier Traveller Magazine’s readers in the U.S. have selected us as the best airline for travel to Africa. I wish to thank them for this vote of confidence, which once again reaffirms the quality of the service and product we offer. We offer the best connectivity options for the travelling public between Africa and the US, thanks to our daily flights from Washington D.C. using the ultra-modern B777s and B787s, and our extensive African network covering 49 destinations with daily and more flights.

    ‘’In June 2015, we will further cement our position as the airline of choice for travel between Africa and the U.S. by adding Los Angeles as our second point in the U.S. Our flights connecting Addis Ababa, Dublin and Los Angeles will be operated with the B787s, which offers unmatched on-board comfort, and will be the only direct service connecting Africa with Ireland and the West Coast of the United States.”

  • Ethiopian Airlines gets $41.4m ING loan

    Ethiopian Airlines  has secured a USD 41.4 million  from ING Capital LLC for the acquisition of two Boeing 777 freighter aircraft, its Chief Financial Officer , Mr Nega Mekonnen has said.

    The  debt , according to Mekonnen, is supported by Ex-Im Bank and was provided by another financial institution with ING as their co-arranger.

    ING Capital LLC is a financial services firm offering a full array of wholesale financial lending products and advisory services to its corporate and institutional clients.

    The  lender, he said, would  benefit from a second priority interest in the security package which secures both the Ex-Im Bank and junior loan financing.

    Ethiopian Airlines utilises the  loan facility to finance a portion of the net purchase price of the aircraft which is not supported by Ex-Im Bank.

    ING Capital was the sole arranger and lender of the  loan financing and will also act as the agent throughout the term of the transaction.

    The financing closed concurrently with the delivery of the first aircraft last month.

    The second aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Addis Ababa this week.

    Ethiopian Airlines successfully secured the  loan financing based on the strong relationship and thorough understanding of the airline’s financing requirements on the part of ING Capital LLC.

    Nega Mekonnen, Chief Financial Officer said “ The financial support for our acquisition of the two B777 Freighter aircraft is critical to Ethiopian Airlines as we aim to sustain our position as the largest cargo operator in Africa.

    These aircraft will help us increase our capacity and service quality for the ever growing perishable cargo market.”

    Terina Golfinos, Managing Director and Head of ING Capital’s Structured Export Finance team in New York, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to close this important financing for Ethiopian Airlines and contribute in some small measure to their ongoing success as the regional carrier of choice. ING has had a lending relationship with Ethiopian Airlines since 2007, and we are pleased to support them with the expansion of their cargo division, which is crucial for Ethiopia’s growing export sector.”

  • Ethiopian Airlines named as African Airline of the Year

    Ethiopian Airlines, the largest and most profitable airline in Africa, has been named the African Airline of the year by the African Airlines Association at its 46th Annual General Assembly held in Algiers last week.

    Ethiopian Airlines bested others for its exceptional results in 2013, consistent profitability, and sound strategy, which has enabled it to forge win-win partnerships with fellow sister African airlines.

    This is the third year in a row that the airline has continued to receive the award from AFRAA.

    Responding to the award, Ethiopian Group Chief Executive, Tewolde Gebremariam, said:” We are highly honoured for this recognition by fellow sister airlines in Africa,” adding: “The award goes, first and foremost, to the more than 8,000 employees at Ethiopian, who work very hard every day to provide the best services on the ground and in the air to our valued customers.”

  • Ethiopian Airlines connects flight between Dublin, Los Angeles

    Ethiopian Airlines said it has concluded plans to start flights to Dublin and Los Angeles starting from June 2015.

    Ethiopian flights to Dublin and Los Angeles will be operated three times a week with the ultra- modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which offers unparalleled on-board comfort to passengers. The flights will be the only direct service connecting Africa with Ireland and the West Coast of the United States.

    Travelers from Los Angeles and Ireland will be able to enjoy seamless and convenient connectivity options thanks to Ethiopian extensive network in Africa covering 49 destinations.  Similarly, as the flights will be the only direct service between Dublin and Los Angeles, the Irish and U.S. travelling public between the two cities will greatly benefit from the opening of the routes.

    “Our new flights connecting Addis Ababa, Dublin and Los Angeles will play a critical role in the expansion of trade, tourism investment between the fast growing continent of Africa, and the United States and Ireland. As the these flights will be the first and only direct air route linking Africa with Ireland and the West Coat of the U.S., they will bring these two seemingly far away cities much closer to Africa and will facilitate mobility and connectivity for businesses and the large African Diaspora community living in the West Coast of the United States.

  • Zuriel named Ethiopian Airlines’ Global Ambassador

    Zuriel named Ethiopian Airlines’ Global Ambassador

    Zuriel Oduwole, Nigeria’s African Girl-Child education campaigner has been appointed as the Global Ambassador of the Ethiopian Airlines.

    At a recent event in the United States, the Airline’s Regional Director for the Americas Kagnew Asfaw, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the global African Airline highlighted her astonishing achievements.

    As part of the agreement, the airline would be Zuriel’s official carrier to her many engagements and projects across three continents, including Africa, and South America, where she is continuously meeting with world leaders and making the case for the Girl Child education.

    Zuriel’s accomplishments include being the first 10 year old to interview eight  incumbent heads of State, the first and only 10 year old to interview  the richest Black Person in the World Aliko Dangote and  the first 10 year old to be accredited to a World press conference [competing with seasoned CNN, Reuters and CNBC Correspondents.

    She is also the first 10 year old to interview sports personalities Venus & Serena Williams, the first 10 year old to be compared to both Larry King & Oprah Winfrey because of her interviewing prowess, the first 10 year old featured in Forbes magazine, and the first African child appointed an honorary Ambassador by a foreign Government.

  • Bombardier, Ethiopian Airlines on intra-Africa travel

    Pierre Beaudoin, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier Inc., held extensive discussions with Ethiopian CEO Tewolde Gebremariam and other senior executive management members regarding Ethiopian successful Q400 NextGen aircraft operations.

    The two companies are working to enhance their already strong and mutually beneficial relationship, in view of the expected high growth of regional intra-Africa travel in the coming years.

    With its fleet of 13 Q400 NextGen aircraft, Ethiopian is the largest operator of the Bombardier-manufactured Q400 aircraft in Africa, deploying the aircraft in domestic and regional operations. The airline recently phased-in five new Q400 NextGen aircraft that were the first outfitted with a dual-class configuration on Bombardier’s production line. With seven fully dedicated business class seats, a second lavatory and hot meal capability, Ethiopian is able to offer more services to its customers. Ethiopian plans to reconfigure its existing fleet of Q400 aircraft with a fully dedicated business class.

    “We are very happy with the performance of the Q400 NextGen aircraft in our domestic and regional operations.

    “The regional intra-Africa travel is set to boom in the coming years and we see a bright future for our relationship with Bombardier. In line with our Vision 2025 strategic roadmap, we will need more regional aircraft, not just to cater for our own fast-growing domestic and regional network, but also to realize our multi-hub strategy in Africa. Already, we have a strong regional partner in West Africa ASKY, which is also using the Q400 aircraft. We plan to build similar strong regional hubs in Southern and Central Africa,”said Mr Tewolde.

    “Having the right fleet with commonality, optimal range, load and passenger comfort will be critical to be competitive in this market. We look forward to working with Bombardier to expand our mutually beneficial relationship in the coming years,” added Mr. Gebremariam.

    “Africa has significant growth potential over the next 20 years and is an important part of Bombardier’s globalization strategy.

    “We are excited about the opportunities for expanding business and commercial aviation in the region and look forward to working with leading carriers like Ethiopian to develop the market fully,”Mr Beaudoin said.