Ethiopian Airlines, the leading aviation group in Africa and a rapidly expanding global airline brand, has been distinguished with the US President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the airline confirmed last Thursday in an official statement. This accolade recognizes the airline’s outstanding contributions and dedicated service to communities in the United States.
The award, signed by US President Joseph R. Biden, was presented to Ethiopian Airlines at the Hilton Atlanta Airport hotel. Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, said, “Our commitment to excellence and the spirit of unity have been the driving forces behind our services for almost eight decades. This accolade is not only recognition of our past efforts but also a bright beacon for the future, guiding us toward even greater heights in service and connectivity.”
Indeed, the flag carrier of Ethiopia deserves such recognition for its contribution to connecting people from different continents across the globe. Especially during the prevalence of COVID-19, while most airlines around the world were grounded, it played a magnificent role in providing necessary life-saving equipment, including vaccines. Ethiopian Airlines Group has been awarded for the unique agility and resilience it displayed amid the COVID-19 global crisis. In doing so, the airline has become a champion of taking risks and demonstrating commitment to saving lives.
Founded on December 21, 1945, and commencing operations on April 8, 1946, initially with former military Douglas C-47 transports, Ethiopian Airlines has grown over the years to become Africa’s largest airline, with a fleet of 130 aircraft. The airline has been a member of the International Air Transport Association since 1959 and of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) since 1968. Ethiopian is a Star Alliance member, having joined in December 2011. The company’s slogan is “The New Spirit of Africa.” Ethiopian’s hub and headquarters are at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, from where it serves a network of 155 passenger destinations.
As the leading airline in Africa, it serves millions of passengers and carries cargo to many destinations, including 63 African cities. It has also contributed to African independence by replacing foreign flying staff with local personnel and providing training for many African pilots.
Ethiopian Airlines is among the highest revenue-earning companies in Ethiopia, thereby contributing a remarkable amount to the nation’s economic advancement. It has announced strong performance for the 2023/2024 fiscal year, raking in USD 7.02 billion in revenue. This represents a 14% surge compared to the previous year.
The airline has also made progress in infrastructure development, with new airports set to open in multiple locations across Ethiopia within the next year. An investment of over USD 458 million was channeled into capital projects.
Despite such achievements and recognition, some entities are attempting to smear the name of this renowned airline in vain. Nowadays, voices are being heard here and there attempting to blackmail the airline under the guise of alleged maladministration. Some countries have even gone to the extent of banning the airline’s flights to their airports. While errors, including property loss, are common everywhere, they are not uncorrectable. Moreover, no mistake carries equal weight to banning flights unless there is an intention to defame the airline.
Any attack against Ethiopian Airlines targets not merely the company; rather, it should be considered part of an effort to destabilize the country that they could not achieve by other means. No matter what happens, their attempts will be vanquished sooner or later, as the US Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the testaments to the airline’s outstanding performance against baseless defamation. It will continue to achieve success repeatedly, rising above the clouds of defamation and remain to be a source of pride for Ethiopia and Africa alike.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 10 AUGUST 2024
