Ethiopian Airlines: Creating an African hub against all odds

Ethiopian Airlines, which transports over 6 million passengers across its destinations annually, surges on with aggressive expansion to integrate African and connect the rest of the world, writes SADE WILLIAMS.

Regarded as the second fastest growing and most profitable airline in Africa, Ethiopian Airline; (ET) operations, span 55 years in Nigeria and has never discontinued operations for one day since then.

As the first East-West Africa connector with a high ambition to integrate the continent with seamless flights, ET now flies to Lagos, Abuja, Enugu and Kano international airports, including passenger and cargo.

“We connect Nigeria with the rest of the world except Australia for now with short connecting time, we are a pan-African airline connecting 49 countries, we are the largest African network in the continent with 6 million passengers per annum”, Esayas Woldemariam, managing director, Ethiopian International Services said in Lagos.

He explained that the 100 percent government owned airline currently serves 82 international destinations and 18 domestic destinations, operating the newest and youngest fleets of an average age of seven years.

Ethiopian Airlines established partnership with ASKY airlines, a community airline based in Togo, realising its long-term vision of creating a West African hub. The establishment of ASKY is an important move for an historic intra-African cooperation in the airline business.

With its main hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines has its second and third hubs in Togo and Malawi, operating 1,330 weekly flights and 200 daily departures.

“Currently, 80 percent of African traffic is airlifted by non-African carriers but we are trying to establish hubs in Africa, with one to four hubs to interconnect Africa; the job, economy and money will sink on the soil and we will stop talking about capital flights.”

On its cargo operations, the airline serves 24 destinations with six dedicated freighters.

With $1bn profit, Woldemariam disclosed that the company aims to attain $10bn by 2025;  more than 100 international destinations; 140 aircraft  as against the current 66 aircraft.

It has also projected 18m passengers for the period up from six million currently with  820,000 tons of cargo from the current 200,000 tons it carries.

“We want to be multi-hubing in Africa with one brand multiple products, with current orders of 33 aircraft, our  new cargo terminal when completed will be able to process 1.2 million tons capacity, that is apart from establishing new hangar”, he said.

On how a fully government owned airline like Ethiopian Airline would survive the tides over the years going by the rate at which African airlines rise and fall, he attributed the success to diligent management, prudence and autonomy adding that these are the ingredients of a business that thrives for success.

“We only present our score cards and performance to government, there is no interference; year to year, we operate and make profit, finance our operations from our revenue. We are not just an airline, we are into cargo, maintenance, repair and overhaul, ground services and aviation academy, in-flight catering services among others, we are a complete aviator,” he said.

As a member of leading global network, Star Alliance, its passengers connect 1,356 airports  and 193 countries apart from code share with more than 18 airlines including Lufthansa, South African Airways, Singapore airlines.