Mesfin Tassew is Ethiopian Airlines Operation Department head. He had a while with Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) on the current situation of the airline after the outbreak of COVID-19. The effects of the outbreak of the virus on the airline and the mitigation measurements taken by the enterprise and other related issues. Excerpts!
EPA: How many planes and destinations have the airline?
Mesfin: Ethiopian Airlines have around 120 planes. From this 12 of them are cargo planes while the remaining are all passenger planes. Currently, due to the outbreak of COVID-19 most of passenger planes are stopped. Cargo planes are providing services with full capacity. Ethiopian Airlines have 127 international and 22 local destinations. Now, due to COVID-19 90 destinations are stopped and even the rest of destinations flight is also too little. Generally, the current flight compared with the former one is only 15 per cent.
EPA: Is there any impact related to the crash of Boing 737 Max Airplane on the Airline?
Mesfin: The last year’s April 2019 Boing 737 plane crash is the most tragic event in Ethiopian Airlines history. It consumes passengers and flight crew life. It hurts everyone’s heart. This accident creates international influence. As it told, since the problem is on the design of the plane, many airlines lost trust on the model of the plane and Boing 737 is now out of service since this accident. Ethiopian Airlines is also forced to stop the Max 737 Airplane. Due to this, at the initial time there was a shortage of planes. But, we continue providing the service for all destinations with the available Plaines.
There was no any cancelation of flight due to the accident. But, the accident was created the psychological influence. Still, there was no passengers decrease. When passengers chose one airline, it is by evaluating the history of the organization’s flight and security deeply. So, since Ethiopian Airlines flight and security is safe, there was no passengers decrease due to the accident.
EPA: What is the fate of the Max-737 planes of the Enterprise?
Mesfin: Ethiopian Airlines has four Max737 planes and all are not providing service. Boeing Company is taking various actions to adjust the technical problems of the model since all Max-737 planes are grounded across the world. Although Boeing is trying to adjust the problem, we will see the result in the future.
EPA: There were complaints on the Airlines on its continued flight to China during the outbreak of COVID-19 there, how do you see this complaint?
Mesfin: Of course, following the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, due to the fear of the virus not enter to Ethiopia, there were critics on Ethiopian Airlines to stop its flights to China. Airlines basic procedures are under the full inspection of International Civil Aviation Association. When such like pandemic happens, we follow the instructions and recommendations of World Health Organization and International Civil Aviation Association. At that time, WHO and the association were recommending not to suspend or stop flights since it is not the solution to limit the pandemic rather worsening it. Ethiopian Airlines was practicing its activities with these instructions and recommendation of WHO and the aviation association. The virus was also not entered to our country from China and those countries stopped flight to China were not protect themselves from limiting the virus to enter to their country.
Hence, when you see all this, stopping flight at that time was not the right decision. If we were stopped the flight immediately, the economic influence over Ethiopia may become too harsh. So, the complaints and critics on Ethiopian Airlines at that time were due to lack of awareness. The flights to China don’t bring any problem to Ethiopia.
EPA: There is a rumor that most of the infected people in the quarantine are airline’s workers. How True Is It?
Mesfin: It is completely false. The Ministry of Health is frequently announcing who was the infected. No employees are infected among all the departments of the airline. I remember two or three hostesses were infected, but they recovered and returned back from the quarantine. Except these, there is no employee in the quarantine at this time.
EPA: How do you explain the economic impact of COVID-19 on the overall activity of the Ethiopian Airlines?
Mesfin: COVID-19 becomes a challenge, not only for Ethiopia, but also for the entire world. It urges countries to lock down their doors, whereas, peoples are urged to cancel their flights. Hence, most of the airlines in the world are hit due to the service for all passenger flights, which could bring 85 per cent of the company’s income, are now in a complete and partial lockdown since the middle of March. The passengers we provide service are travelers who live in outside of their home country. Except those asked contracts in a group to return home, regular passenger traffic is almost stopped.
EPA: It is said that there are aircraft purchased and leased by the company; how is it difficult to pay off debt in a weak economy?
Mesfin: Of course, there are aircraft purchased and leased by the company. Working relentlessly, the company has been paying off its debt till the outbreak of COVID-19. Now, many loan and aircraft lease providers have postponed the time to return the debt due to the spread of coronavirus worldwide.
EPA: How do you explain the outcome of the airline in its cargo service provision after the outbreak of coronavirus?
Mesfin: Currently, the airline transporting protective materials to be used for COVID-19 from China and India to Africa, Europe, North and South America. The Ethiopian airlines is playing its significant role in the effort towards protecting COVID-19 at international level. It is now receiving acknowledgements and appreciation from around the world for transporting useful protective materials. With this cargo transportation, the company could cover the payroll expenses for its employees.
EPA: How do you explain the situation that the company converts passenger aircraft into cargo?
Mesfin: The airline had only 12 cargo aircrafts. The demand for cargo flights is now exceeding the supply. Therefore, we are now using some of passenger crafts for cargo purpose.
EPA: What the airline plans to compensate the economic losses due to lockdown?
Mesfin: When the world will get out of the influence of COVID-19, countries will open their doors. The number of passengers will increase. Ticket offices and terminal services will resume their operation properly as before. We prepared ourselves to work based on the guidelines and advisories given from the International Aviation and World Health Organization. To bring the airline into its previous premium position, we are now working to scale up its outstanding profit, and improve the number of flight coverage.
EPA: Thank you very much for sharing your time and insights
Mesfin: Thank you
The Ethiopian herald May 30, 2020
