Ethiopian Airlines, despite being relatively unknown to the average American traveler or travel agent, is striving to change this by expanding its reach. With a network that covers 54 African cities and hubs in Addis Ababa and Togo, the carrier boasts one of the youngest fleets in the industry and offers a strong option for travel to Africa. According to Nigusu Worku, the carrier’s U.S. director of sales and services, their fleet and network are both impressive and appealing.
Over the last two years, Ethiopian Airlines has added flights to Newark and Los Angeles in addition to their longstanding daily flight to Washington Dulles. Next summer, the carrier plans to introduce service to either Houston or Chicago, both of which are hubs for their codeshare and Star Alliance partner, United Airlines, along with Dulles, Los Angeles, and Newark. While a recent report from Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter suggests that Chicago will be chosen, the carrier has only confirmed that O’Hare is being considered as an option.
The current four-times-a-week flights from Los Angeles and Newark may also be expanded to daily service. Ethiopian Airlines operates a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on their Los Angeles to Addis Ababa route with a stop in Dublin, and their Newark flight, also operated by a Dreamliner, stops at Lome-Tokoin Airport in Togo. The Dulles-Addis Ababa flight is nonstop, but the return flight from Ethiopia makes a brief stop in Dublin for refueling.
With the most extensive connecting network in Africa, according to Brendan Sobie, chief analyst for the CAPA Centre for Aviation, Ethiopian Airlines operates as a network carrier similar to Emirates and Turkish Airlines. While it may not have the same prestige or recognition among U.S. travelers as other airlines with significant connections to and from Africa, such as Qatar, Lufthansa, and Air France, there is little reason for concern. The carrier operates a modern fleet of 94 aircraft, including 19 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, six Airbus A350s, and a variety of other Boeing narrow- and wide-body planes.
In fact, Ethiopian Airlines has achieved impressive success despite competition within Africa and the challenges faced by the region, such as political instability and terrorism. In the fiscal year ending in June 2016, the carrier reported a net profit margin of 11.26%, the highest on the continent, while other African carriers, such as South African Airways, reported losses. This can be attributed to the carrier’s strong management and strategic plan, as well as the lack of turmoil in Ethiopia compared to other countries in the region.
Looking towards the future, Ethiopian Airlines has set ambitious goals, including achieving a $1 billion annual profit by 2025. In order to reach this, they are rapidly expanding, with a 23% increase in available seat miles in the 2016 fiscal year and plans to add eight new destinations by next June, including Chicago or Houston. While the current primary hub, Addis Ababa Bole Airport, is acceptable, Ethiopia is building a larger airport that will be able to handle up to 120 million passengers annually. Additionally, Lome Airport in Togo recently unveiled a new terminal in April 2016.
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