Passengers from 33 countries were on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 when it crashed few minutes after takeoff. As one of the largest airliners of the world, Ethiopian Airlines carries a large number of passengers to and from different parts of the world.
As its international destination has reached about 90, it is easy to guess that the airline serves citizens of even more nations. Anyone who takes Ethiopian airlines on any international flight is likely to be amazed by the variety of the passengers. In addition, the airline has been a strong proponent of pan Africanism as it was the available carrier in the continent to bring together the founders of Organization of African Unity (OAU) as well as in all the subsequent events until now.
Indeed the news of the accident has attracted the attention of almost all mainstream international media and has been given a wide coverage. Many people have also expressed shock and condolences through the mainstream and social media. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of countries that have expressed condolence has so far exceeded fifty.
While officially opening the One Planet Summit in Nairobi this week, French President Emanuel Macron said though the accident has touched the heart of many people, it has also brought them together as one family. Of course, for decades the airline has been a place where all these citizens from different parts of the world come together. From the very first hour the news of the accident was released people from all corners were expressing confidence in the good safety record of the airline rather than casting blame on it.
As the famous aviation analyst of CNN Richard Quest expressed, Ethiopia airlines is a choice when passengers feel suspicious about the safety of other carriers. Yet, the trust that the airline has built has resumed despite the tragic accident. All its passengers have continued their usual flight to the airline.
By reaffirming their affiliation as clients of the airline people of these diverse nations have in a way reposed new and much bigger responsibilities on the carrier. Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Tewolde Gebremariam on his part indicated that despite the harsh feeling created by the accident the airline has kept on delivering its usual service without any change in schedule and number of flights.
On top of the Airlines commitment to maintain all its usual service as per the expectation of its customers, it is also important to appreciate the trust the customers have placed on the airline. As citizens of the country, the government and people of Ethiopia should nurture the strong quality of service delivery of the airline, share the responsibility that the national flag carrier received and perpetuate it.
The Ethiopian Herald, March 16/2019
