By Victor Shalton
Ethiopian Strengthens U.S. Route Network, Restores Flights to China
Ethiopian has plans in place to expand its presence in the U.S. The airline is launching new flights from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Atlanta in May.
From May 16, 2023, the Ethiopian national carrier will offer four flights per week between its base in Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport and Atlanta-Hartsfield Jackson Airport, operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that can accommodate 30 passengers in Business class and 285 in Economy.
Although Ethiopian is a member of the Star Alliance, Atlanta is not a hub for the alliance and according to Aviation Week, the Star Alliance airline is currently in talks with Delta Air Lines – a member of the SkyTeam alliance – to establish a codeshare agreement.
Ethiopian Airlines will have no competition on this route, with Delta Air Lines offering flights to Africa from Lagos, Nigeria; Capetown, South Africa; Accra, Ghana and Johannesburg.
This new route will be Ethiopian’s sixth destination in North America, in addition to Chicago via Dublin in one direction, New York JFK via Lomé, Togo in both directions, Newark via Lomé, Togo, Toronto, Canada via Dublin in one direction and Washington D.C, through Dublin on the one way or through Lomé, Togo.
Departures are scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 p.m. to arrive the next day in Dublin at 4:20 a.m., leave 50 minutes later after refueling and land in the USA at 9:00 a.m. The flight time is 18 hours.
The return flights will leave Georgia on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 10:35 a.m. to land directly in Ethiopia the next day at 7:50 a.m.
In other news, Ethiopian Airlines has announced plans to increase flights to China from next month, as travel restrictions in the Asian country are lifted.
The African carrier will be one of the first international airlines to restore capacity to China since quarantine requirements were lifted.
The airline plans to increase flights to Beijing and Shanghai to four flights a week next month and daily from March 1. Additionally, it will also add an additional weekly flight to Chengdu, China, resulting in 28 weekly flights to the country.
Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Mesfin Tasew said, “China is one of the largest markets for Ethiopian Airlines outside Africa, and the increase in flight frequencies will help revive the trade, investment, cultural and bilateral cooperation between Africa and China in the post-Covid era.”
“We are keen to further expand our service to China going forward,” Tasew added.
Before the pandemic, the country was an important market for Ethiopian Airlines serving cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai. The airline has been serving these cities since November 2020 albeit at a much lower frequency, according to Cirium data.
Ethiopian also operates cargo flights to cities across China including Guangzhou, Changsha, Shanghai, Zhengzhou and Wuhan.
Victor Shalton’s love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.
