Friday 25 May 2018

ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines Initiates New Routes

Ethiopian Airlines commenced operations between Abidjan (ABJ) and New York Newark (EWR) on 12 May, a service that originates in Addis Ababa.

The carrier will operate the 7,963-kilometre route three times weekly, with the Star Alliance member utilising its fleet of 787-8s on the Africa-North America city pair.

No other carrier presently links the two countries non-stop. By adding this service to its schedule, it means that Ethiopian Airlines offers a daily departure from Addis Ababa to Newark.

This, with it also offering a four times weekly operation to the New Jersey airport via Lome, the capital of Togo.

Ethiopian Airlines added three African destinations to its network this week, with the carrier now serving Kisangani (FKI) and Mbuji-Mayi (MJM) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, plus Nosy-Be (NOS) in Madagascar.

All launched on 27 March from Addis Ababa (ADD), the Star Alliance member will operate flights to the former two destinations on a triangular routing of Addis Ababa–Kisangani–Mbuji-Mayi–Addis Ababa.

This route will be flown three times weekly facing no direct competition.

Services to Nosy-Be will also be flown three times weekly, also facing no direct rivalry, with this service operating via the carrier’s existing link to Moroni in Comoros.

A destination that joined Ethiopian Airlines’ network in November 2016. All three destinations will be served by the carrier’s fleet of 737-800s.

Ethiopian Airlines has restored service to Bahrain (BAH) , ending a six-year hiatus of flights from Addis Ababa (ADD).

The relaunched route will be flown by the Star Alliance member three times weekly on its fleet of 737-800s, with the outbound rotation operating via Dammam in Saudi Arabia.

Commenting on the launch, Bahrain Airport Company CCO, Ayman Zainal, said: “Ethiopian Airlines has been operating in the region for decades.

Its level of efficiency and operational experience are among the best in the African continent. We are very happy to have these routes added to our scheduled flights which provide added convenience and options for travelers, including the large Ethiopian community in Bahrain.

Competition on the 2,292-kilometre sector comes in the form of Gulf Air, with it also serving the city pair three times weekly on its A320s.

Ethiopian Airlines has now added the Nigerian city of Kaduna (KAD) to its network, with it becoming the Star Alliance member’s fifth destination in the country.

The carrier commenced a three times weekly service from Addis Ababa (ADD), a connection it will operate on its fleet of 737-800s. No other airline currently operates the 3,449-kilometre sector.

With this launch, Ethiopian Airlines now operates 21 weekly flights direct to Nigeria from Addis Ababa, with Lagos and Abuja being served daily, Enugu three times weekly and Kano weekly when referring to OAG schedules.

The latter is also served twice-weekly via N’Djamena in Chad. However, the airline does not have local traffic rights between N’Djamena and Kano. At present, Ethiopian Airlines is the only airline operating between Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Airlines commenced operations to Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) on 8 March, with the Star Alliance member starting a five times weekly service from Addis Ababa (ADD), with the 11,246-kilometre city pair operating via the carrier’s existing Sao Paulo Guarulhos service.

Commenting on the launch, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde Gebremariam, said of the new service: We are glad to add Buenos Aires, the sixth gateway to the Americas for the airline, to our extensive global network.

Our new flight to Buenos Aires will provide efficient connections to our network in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, including Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Mumbai, Delhi, Dubai, Beirut, Nairobi, and Cairo.

We are all the more happy that the flight launched on 8 March – International Women’s Day.

To mark this important occasion, and as part of our commitment of mainstreaming gender into our core business, we have made the inaugural rotation an all-women-operated flight.

As mentioned by Gebremariam, this is now Ethiopian Airlines’ sixth destination in the Americas, with it also operating to Sao Paulo in the South, as well as Washington Dulles, New York Newark, Los Angeles and Toronto Pearson in the North.

The route to Buenos Aires, which will be flown using 787-8s, will not face direct competition.

Ethiopian Airlines returned to Singapore (SIN) having last served the city in October 2014. The carrier is now offering non-stop flights to Singapore from Addis Ababa (ADD) five times weekly on its fleet of 787-8s.

The 7,257-kilometre route was previously served via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi on 767-300s.

The link between the African and Asian cities will not face direct competition, with the route continuing on to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore, with the Malaysian capital until 7 May having been served via Suvarnabhumi.

A second route was also launched by the Star Alliance member this week.

Ethiopian began flights between Johannesburg (JNB) and Lome (LFW). The 4,619-kilometre sector will be flown four times weekly on 737-800s facing no direct competition.


Tourism Observer

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