Business Travel is Growing on Ethiopian Airlines’ Busy US Routes

Business Travel is Growing on Ethiopia Busy U

Following two years of downturn, international travel has been bouncing back in recent months. With this in mind, Simple Flying caught up with Ethiopian Airlines’ USA Regional Director, Samson Arega, to talk about prospects across the Atlantic in this new chapter.

Using its expertise

Ethiopian Airlines has been serving the United States market for over two decades. While the operator has robustly grown in North America over the years, the US is one of the strategic markets that the company is determined to develop.

Samson noted that his airline is witnessing travel market growth in tandem with remarkable socioeconomic progress in Africa. With this pattern, the carrier is concentrating more on corporate & business travel. With growing ties between the US and African countries, these segments will signifi cantly shape themselves as the next big emerging travel market.

Thus, in this recovery stage, Ethiopian Airlines’ growth strategy runs in line with its refi ned focus. Samson told Simple Flying the following about the fl ight strategy:

“We have scheduled to re-introduce three weekly fl ights to Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) via Lomé, Togo/West Africa. We are connecting Washington DC, the nation’s capital with West African cities starting in June. This direct fl ight is evidence of the commitment that we have for our esteemed clients here in the US, to conveniently connect and provide hassle-free air services, and a part of our strategic market expansion in the US. Furthermore, we are also regularizing all our operations to the airports that we fl y as the passenger demand eventually recovers.” Plenty of potential

Before the pandemic, Ethiopian fl ew to Houston four times a week from Addis Ababa via Lomé, Togo, in both directions, primarily for refueling purposes. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was deployed on these operations, and the carrier is keen to restart service. However, it doesn’t have a timeline just yet.

Altogether, Ethiopian now has four passenger routes to the US, which are all operating outbound via Dublin or Lomé. The 787-9 is the most used aircraft, followed by the 777-200LR, 787-8, and 777-300ER. In a typical month, there are 21

n Airlines’ US Routes

By Sumit Singh

▲ Bole airport terminal in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Photo: Ethiopian Airlines ◄ Ethiopian Airlines reported a 2020/21 revenue of $3.5 billion. Photo: Ethiopian Airlines ◄ Ethiopian Airlines Pilots. Photo: businesslist.co.ke

weekly bookable departures to Africa from the US.

“We have more fl ights between North America and Africa than any other airline. Ethiopian Airlines was the thirdlargest Airline between North America and Africa in 2019, with some 595,000 passengers, behind Delta Air Lines and Royal Air Maroc. Now, in 2022, we have the highest capacity planned to date.” Further opportunities

There are notable growth opportunities for the aviation industry across Africa, especially due to the emergence of new passenger segments. The population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to double by the middle of the century. Additionally, nearly 60% of the continent’s population is under 25-years old. This aspect makes Africa the continent with the youngest population in the world.

Additionally, many members of the young population are from an expanding middle class that is well adapted to global business patterns. So, Ethiopian Airlines will be keeping a close eye to ensure it meets the demand from these emerging segments. https://simplefl ying.com/6-nigerian-airlines-formpassenger-service-alliance/