Ethiopian celebrates 78yrs of flying

Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s largest airline group, has marked its 78th anniversary, highlighting a legacy of resilience and innovation since 1946.

Mesfin Tassew, group chief executive officer and Lemma Yadecha, chief commercial officer, accompanied the crew on their involvement, extended beyond in-flight duties, as they also provided assistance to passengers during check-in and boarding processes, ensuring a seamless travel experience.

Regarding the occasion, Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, said, “This event symbolizes our unwavering commitment to our passengers and our belief that true leadership lies in serving others first. Serving our passengers on this special flight to Cairo is not just a tribute to our first international service but a reaffirmation of our commitment to the ethos of servant leadership.

“From our humble beginning back in 1946, we’ve come to be the aviation giant in Africa that we are now, pioneering the African aviation with many first aviation innovation introductions to Africa along the way. As we are maturing beautifully, our commitment only gets stronger.”

In line with Ethiopian’s values of community engagement, passengers received Seasons Greeting Packages and Happy Fasting Messages, reflecting the airline’s respect for diverse traditions. The packages included a postcard commemorating the anniversary, serving as a tangible reminder of the airline’s enduring legacy.

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“Our mission extends beyond transportation,’ said CCO Lemma Yadecha.

“We strive to foster a sense of unity and belongingness among our passengers, regardless of their background or belief. This anniversary is a celebration of unity and diversity. By stepping into the roles of our dedicated ground and flight crew, we honour every individual who has been part of our story. Our service today is a promise of continued service excellence for all our passengers.”

In a remarkable display of commitment, all executives at Ethiopian Airlines, have taken a hands-on approach to service, personally attending to the needs of our valued customers.

This initiative underscores the airline’s ethos of servant leadership and its dedication to providing an exceptional travel experience.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.