Tag: Ethiopian Airlines

  • Somalia returns Ethiopian aircraft as port issue intensifies

    Somalia returns Ethiopian aircraft as port issue intensifies

    Somalia said no to a plane carrying Ethiopian officials to Somaliland, making the ongoing disagreement between the countries even worse.

    The person in charge of giving out information in Somalia said to the BBC that the plane was not allowed to be in the country’s sky.

    The Ethiopian leaders were in Somaliland to talk about an agreement, and this has caused a big argument.

    Somalia thinks that Somaliland belongs to it.

    The deal, signed on 1 January, would let Somaliland rent out one of its ports to Ethiopia. In return, Somaliland would get a share in Ethiopian Airlines and might be recognized as its own independent country.

    Somalia is really mad about the deal and says it’s an aggressive act.

    On Wednesday, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said that flight ETH8273 did not follow the international rules. Flights should get permission from the countries they fly over, but this flight did not.

    It tried to land at the airport in Hargeisa, which is in Somaliland.

    The SCAA said that normal flights between the two countries are still happening, even after the incident.

    The Ethiopian government has not said anything yet, but the leader of Ethiopian Airlines said the plane had come back to the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.

    Somaliland used to be protected by Britain. It separated from Somalia in 1991 and now it looks like a country. They have elections, police, and their own money.

    No country has accepted or approved this.

    Somalia told the Ethiopian plane to leave its airspace, to show that Somaliland is not its own country.

    During the argument between Somalia and Ethiopia, the US and the African Union supported Somalia’s land and asked everyone to calm down.

  • Ethiopian Airlines has capacity of satisfying Ghana’s growing demand – Commercial Officer

    Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has unveiled plans for a significant expansion of its flight services to Ghana. Currently, the airline operates 11 weekly flights to Accra’s Kotoka International Airport, and it intends to increase this frequency to 14 flights per week.

    This expansion underscores Ethiopian Airlines’ dedication to serving the travel market in Ghana.

    Mr. Lemma Gudeta, Chief Commercial Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, discussed this development during a working visit to Accra, Ghana, emphasizing the airline’s commitment to enhancing its presence in the region.

    ”Ethiopian Airlines currently operates 145 planes, and we do have enough capacity, especially out of the main hub in Addis Ababa. We have aircraft positioned to cater to the increased demand in Ghana.”

    He noted that Ethiopian Airlines, despite its name, is indeed an African carrier with a mission to connect and serve the entire African continent.

    “We strongly believe that Ethiopian Airlines might be known by the name Ethiopian, but it’s an African carrier, and it’s our obligation to serve the general public in Africa. Therefore, we strongly believe that we should reach all cities in Africa and also do it deeply by increasing frequencies,” he said.

    Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is well-positioned to make a substantial contribution to the growth of the aviation sector in Ghana, facilitating increased connectivity for travelers within Africa and beyond.

    This expansion highlights the airline’s pivotal role as a bridge for both business and leisure travelers, further solidifying its position as a prominent African carrier.

  • Doctors report numerous civilian deaths in Ethiopian conflicts

    Doctors report numerous civilian deaths in Ethiopian conflicts

    Doctors in Bahir Dar, the capital of Ethiopia’s Amhara region, have told the BBC that recent violence between local militias and government forces has resulted in the deaths of a significant number of people.

    A five-month-old newborn and elderly adults were among the casualties, according to a doctor at the city’s primary hospital.

    Locals claimed that a militia had taken over a prison and freed the prisoners.

    Since the government declared in April that it was eliminating regional forces throughout Ethiopia, Amhara nationalists have been protesting the action, claiming it would weaken their area.

    In a statement on Tuesday, the government noted that while steps were being done to rid the two largest cities, Bahir Dar and Gondar, of militias, there was generally peace in several areas of the region.

    Ethiopian Airlines has declared a three-day flight suspension to four airports in the area, including Bahirdar and Gondar.

  • Ethiopian Airlines named ‘The Best Airline in Africa’

    Ethiopian Airlines named ‘The Best Airline in Africa’

    The Ethiopian Airlines Group, the continent’s top airline brand and the airline with the fastest global growth, has been named “The Best Airline in Africa.”

    The airline was awarded the title at the prestigious SKYTRAX 2023 World Airline Awards during the Paris Air Show held in Paris, France.

    A statement issued in Accra said the award was the sixth time in a row that Ethiopian Airlines had been recognised as the Best Airline in Africa at the SKYTRAX World Airline Awards.

    Mr Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, said: “We are truly pleased by the top award that we received today at the admired World Airline Awards. Crowned with Skytrax’s prestigious awards for several years in a row is a testimony of our consistency and commitment in delivering high-quality services.”

    He said they were very proud of the strong vote of confidence of the valued customers, and “l will like to thank them and reaffirm that we will continue exceeding their expectations.”

    “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely appreciate the hardworking Ethiopian Airlines’ families who strive round the clock to keep the engines of our success run,” he added.

    Mr Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, said: “Ethiopian Airlines wins this top award as Africa’s favourite carrier for a sixth successive year and this level of consistency is a fabulous achievement for all the Ethiopian Airlines management and frontline staff.”

    The World Airline Awards referred to by media around the world as “the Oscars of the aviation industry” is wholly independent and impartial, introduced in 1999 to provide a customer satisfaction study that is truly global.

    Travellers across the world vote in the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to determine the award winners.

    Over 100 customer nationalities participated in the 2022/2023 survey with more than 20 million eligible entries counted in the results.

    More than 325 airlines are featured in the final Award results.

    It is to be recalled that Ethiopian amasses a plethora of awards, including but not limited to: ‘The Best Airlines in Africa’ from SKYTRAX World Airline Awards for the last several years in a row; ‘Sustainable Cargo Airline of the Year -Africa’ at the 2023 Freight Week Sustainability Awards; ‘Outstanding Food Services by a Carrier’ at the 2023 PAX International Readership Awards; and ‘Best Overall in Africa Award’ at the 2023 APEX Passenger Choice Awards.

  • 90 Ghanaians return home after Dubai deportation

    90 Ghanaians return home after Dubai deportation

    About ninety (90) Ghanaians who were deported from Dubai have arrived in Ghana.

    The deportees were flown in two batches by Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines and proceeded through the Ghana Immigration Service’s requisite procedures at Kotoka International Airport before being handed over to the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) for further action.

    MyNewsGh.com confirmed that most of them through fake recruitment agents travelled to Dubai illegally while others had overstayed their visas.

    It is gathered that over 431 such persons are currently in Dubai with a number of them said to be in detention after being promised lucrative jobs by agents who smuggled them into the country only to be faced with a different reality.

    Sources at the Ghana Immigration Service revealed to this portal that more deportees are expected in the coming days as the number that has so far arrived in the country is just a fraction of those expected.

    It would be recalled that late last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFARI) said efforts were underway to evacuate some 431 Ghanaians who had been detained in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Comprising 341 males, 88 females and two children below the age of three, they were lured there by some agents who promised them jobs in Dubai and other cities in the UAE.

    They have been detained at Al Tawadi Medical Centre and the Immigration Centre in Dubai, alongside an unspecified number of African migrants who have suffered the same fate.

    A statement issued by the MFARI said the government was collaborating with the authorities of the UAE to bring the stranded nationals back home safely.

  • Government advised people not to meddle with the projected national carrier’s operations

    Government advised people not to meddle with the projected national carrier’s operations

    Mesfin Tasew Bekele, the chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines, has counseled the government not to meddle with the operations of the proposed national carrier.

    He said that numerous national airlines in Africa have shut down due to government meddling with their operations on a regular basis.

    “Once an airline is established, it must be allowed to operate without interruption in order to operate efficiently and control costs.
    Any airline that does not control its expenses would fail, he said.

    He said this in an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra last Friday.

    Mr Bekele noted that the government needed to bolster the leadership that would run the national airline when it was set up.

    The CEO expressed the desire in partnering with the govern­ment to set up a national carrier, saying, “We are ready to support the Ghanaian government in establishing a national carrier but the mode of engagement would need to be evaluated”.

    He noted that the airline’s decision to deepen its relationship with Africa and Ghanaians neces­sitated the increase of its weekly flights from Ghana to other parts of the world from seven to 11 flights.

    Mr Bekele hinted at further investment into the airline’s cargo operations as it was the second most important business of the airline since it helped it stay afloat while other airlines collapsed globally.

    The CEO expressed worry over the delay in the implemen­tation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) proj­ect by the African Union, saying that it would advance the liberali­sation of civil aviation in Africa.

    He noted that the delay of the member countries of the AU to push for the implementation of the project fully was “the fear of it crippling the operations of their local airlines, however such excuse was narrow”.

    “SAATM would accelerate the development of the air transport industry in Africa, and also the overall growth and prosperity of Africa, I hope African leaders would take practical steps in en­suring the project is fully imple­mented,” Mr Bekele said.

  • Ethiopian Airlines pilots ‘overshoot runway after falling asleep’

    Two pilots fell asleep at 37,000ft (11,000m), missing an airport runway before waking to safely land the plane, an aviation publication says.

    Air traffic tried to contact them after they overshot the point of descent into Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa airport.

    The pilots eventually woke up and landed the plane on its second approach, the Aviation Herald said.

    The Ethiopian Airlines crew have been put on leave pending investigation, state-run news outlet Fana reported.

    Monday’s passenger flight took off from Sudan’s Khartoum airport.

    The Boeing 737, with a 154-seat capacity, normally takes less than two hours on its route between the neighboring countries.

    Reactions to sleeping on the job ranged from sympathy with the pilots’ work schedule to shock that they fell asleep on the job.

    “I wouldn’t cast blame on the Ethiopian crew specifically here – this is something that could happen to ANY crew in the world and it probably DID happen… The blame lies on the corporation and the regulators,” read one comment on the Aviation Herald website.

    Another user suggested that there was only one solution: “Termination. End of story. Full stop.”

    Others saw the funny side of the story, comment on Twitter, “Sleeping on the job taken to new heights!”

    An aviation analyst called the incident “deeply concerning” on Twitter.

    “Pilot fatigue is nothing new, and continues to pose one of the most significant threats to air safety – internationally,” tweeted aviation analyst, Alex Macheras

    Source: BBC news

  • 2022 WCQ: Ethiopia to host Ghana in Kenya

    The Walias of Ethiopia will host the Black Stars of Ghana in Kenya for the penultimate match of the African qualifiers for the 2022 Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.

    This follows a ban on the Bahir Dar Stadium by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), where the Ethiopian national team played their matches including a 3-1 loss against South Africa in World Cup qualifiers.

    CAF has decided that the match with the Black Stars of Ghana scheduled for November 11, would be played in Kenya.

    CAF declared the Bahir Dar Stadium unfit to host international games after failing to meet at least seven of its requirements including substandard medical, VIP, Media centers as well as training facilities of the stadium are among the reasons for the ban.

    The Stadium is now banned from hosting any international games including World Cup Qualifiers, CAF African Champions League Confederation Cup matches

    This development is certainly good news for the Black Stars who have to win the match to keep the chase on leaders South Africa as they quest to qualify to the final round of the qualifying stage.

    Source: GNA

  • Ethiopia plane crash: Kenyan victims buried in home towns

    Families in Kenya have received the remains of the 32 victims who died in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash seven months ago.

    The process of formally identifying them through DNA analysis has taken months.

    Read:Boeing crash: I miss them every minute

    Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi reports from Nakuru.

  • Ethiopian Airlines records $US4.2 billion dollars in revenue

    Ethiopia Airlines has revealed that it has generated 114.6 billion birr (about US$4.2 billion dollars) in revenue during the fiscal year ending July 7, 2019.

    The largest aviation group in Africa generated the revenue from transporting passengers and goods as well as providing other services such as training and catering.

    Ethiopian Airlines annual revenue up 29%

    The Ethiopian Public Enterprises Assets and Administration Agency, which evaluated the performance of the Group, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said of the total revenue the company generated, US$3.9 billion dollars was collected in hard currency from international customers.

    The report said the state-owned company had made a total profit of 8.9 billion birr (US$326 million dollars) before tax.

    It said during the current Ethiopian fiscal year 2012, which started July 8, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Group had planned to collect total revenue of 155 billion birr (US$5.7 billion dollars) at the prevailing exchange rate.

    Ethiopia army arrests Islamic State members recruiting, arming locals

    The Aviation Group aims to report a gross profit of 19 billion birr (696 million dollars) at the prevailing exchange rate at the end of the year July 7, 2020, the report said.

    It is recalled that the Government of Ethiopia has announced plans to partially privatize Ethiopian Airlines Group, Ethio telecom, Ethiopia Shipping Lines and other big state enterprises including railways and electric services.