BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
Unlike to marshy industries, breweries, the boosting construction sectors supposed to ushering achievements and believed to be a gear shifter to the country’s macro economy, the Ethiopian Airlines still manages to go distant and competent enough among well reputed air transport and preferred aviation industry.
The achievement in the aviation industry gained in time of worrisome witnessed that the industry in Ethiopia has laid its foundation in inviolable system and continued to be on the forefront of trophy and achievement that many countries’ companies yearn to be part of it.
Ethiopian Airlines announced that it amassed revenue of USD 5 billion during the 2021/2022 fiscal year. Out of the total revenue, the company gained a net profit of USD 937 million. It registered a 79 percent growth when compared to the 2020/2021 fiscal year.
The airline’s success was registered despite global economic pressures that included rising fuel cost. The airline was also able to collect five international aviation awards during the past fiscal year.
According to Ethiopian Investment Holdings’ (EIH) CEO Mamo Mihiretu, the airline became successful without job losses and significant cancellation of flights. Ethiopian transported 6.9 million international travelers and flew 7,700 tons of commodities in the concluded fiscal year. Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing airline in Africa, expects to receive 13 new aircrafts including 10 B777 max and 2 Airbus A350 during the 2022/2023 fiscal year.
The company’s current fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-8, Freighter, Bombardier Dash 8-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years.
Ethiopian Airlines Win Multiple Prestigious Awards at SKYTRAX 2022 World Airline Awards, moves 11 Ranks Up in the World’s Top 100 Airlines.
According to documents extracted from the largest Aviation Group in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to announce that it has been named the winner of four awards at the SKYTRAX 2022 World Airline Awards, at a ceremony held in London on 23 September 2022. Moving an incredible 11 ranks up, Ethiopian has also been placed 26th in the World’s Top 100 Airlines for 2022 as voted by airline customers around the world.
Regarding the award, Ethiopian group CEO, Mesfin Tasew remarked, “We are truly honored by the multiple prestigious awards that Ethiopian won. It gives me great pleasure to witness such a rewarding event to the hard working Ethiopian Airlines’ employees and management team put in order to provide our valued passengers the best quality service. I would like to assure our customers and everyone who casted their votes in favor of Ethiopian that we will continue to provide a world class service tailored with African flavored Ethiopian hospitality. We managed to provide our service, unbeaten by the COVID-19 pandemic, the greatest challenge for the aviation industry and we will keep pace, enhancing our level of service to an even better level along the way.”
The World Airline Awards are independent and impartial, introduced in 1999 to provide a customer satisfaction study that was truly global. Travelers across the world vote in the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to decide the award winners. The awards are referred to by media around the world as “the Oscars of the aviation industry”.
Ethiopian has also won Cargo and Logistics Services awards as the largest air cargo network operator in Africa, it has won two awards – ‘Cargo Airline of The Year’ and ‘Best Cargo Airline Africa’ – by Air Cargo News Award.
Global cargo players including Freight Forwarders, Ground Handlers, General and Cargo Sales Agents cast their votes online, where the highest votes for ‘The Cargo Airline of The Year’ and ‘Best Cargo Airline’ titles went to Ethiopian. Ethiopian Cargo was a finalist in three categories.
It is said that Ethiopian will continue its leading role in the cargo service and remains committed to provide efficient and unparalleled service to its customers across the world using its state-of-the-art facilities, modern and young fleet as well as its vast global network and skilled manpower.
According to Premium Times, the advancement of the aviation industry of Ethiopia has been grabbing the interest of airlines of the continent. Most of all, an accord inked between Nigeria and the Ethiopian Airlines can be a good instance how the Airlines is the preferred one.
It is said that, Ethiopian Airlines is the preferred bidder for Nigeria Air, the Nigerian government said, as it prepares for the commencement of operations of Nigeria’s new national carrier.
Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said at a press briefing in Abuja that Nigeria Air will launch with a shuttle service between Abuja and Lagos to establish a new comfortable, reliable and affordable travel between the two major airports and those other domestic destinations will follow thereafter.
After a careful, detailed and ICRC governed selection process, Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) Consortium has been selected as preferred bidder, offering an owner consortium of 3 Nigerian investors MRS which is a dedicated aviation fuel service provider with over 30 years of experience at major airports in Nigeria and West Africa, Skyway Aviation Handing Company Plc. (SAHCO) and the Nigerian Sovereign Fund (46 percent), FGN owning 5 percent and ET 49 percent,” the statement quote:
Ethiopian Airlines will own 49 percent equity; the federal government will control five per cent equity, while a consortium of three Nigerian investors (MRS, SAHCO and the Nigerian Sovereign Fund) will have 46 percent.
Nigeria Air is the nation’s proposed national carrier which was unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in England on July 18, 2018. The project was suspended two months after it was announced after critics raised concerns over its relevance and sustainability. The proposed airline was expected to gulp USD 8.8 million preliminary cost and USD 300 million as takeoff cost. Nigeria’s defunct carrier, Nigeria Airways, collapsed due to corruption and poor management.
But the Nigerian government dismissed all concerns raised, saying the airline would begin operation before the end of 2018, following President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to establish a national airline during his 2015 electioneering campaign.
In July, the Federal Executive Council approved the leasing of three aircraft to enable the airline commence operations on a date to be announced soon by the government. The Minister said Nigeria Air is well on its way to being launched with three Boeings 737-800 in a configuration very suitable for the Nigerian market. “The Request for Proposal (RFP) under the PPP act, governed by ICRC, is completed,” he added.
He said the consortium has been subject to a due diligence process, after which the contract will be negotiated between the consortium and the FGN, leading to a Full Business Case, which will be expected to be approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
“We expect this process to take 6-8 weeks,” the statement said. It said an interim executive team of highly skilled aviation experts has been working since February to set up all the necessary regulatory and industry requirements to launch the national carrier.
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airlines in Africa. In its seventy-five plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 130 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents.
Ethiopian’s fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-8, Freighter, Bombardier Dash 8-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years.
In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with Seven business units: Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services; Ethiopian Maintenance Repair and Operation (MRO) Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian ADD Hub Ground Services, Ethiopian Airports Services and Ethiopian Express Services (Domestic). Ethiopian is a multi-award-winning airline registering an average growth of 25 percent in the seven years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ethiopian Herald September 29/2022
