Ethiopian Airlines celebrates 50 years of UK flights

Ethiopian Airlines, the leading and fastest growing Airline in Africa, is celebrating the 50th year of the launch of its service to the UK in April 1973. Ethiopian Airlines’ inaugural flight arrived in London-Heathrow on a Boeing 720-B commencing with two flights a week. The flight was originally operated via Cairo, Rome and Frankfurt with First Class and Economy Class.

Today, Ethiopian offers daily non-stop A350 Airbus flights from London Heathrow (Terminal 2) to Addis Ababa, and 4 weekly B787 Dreamliner flights from Manchester (Terminal 2) to Addis Ababa, carrying over 10,000 passengers monthly, with connections to over 60 destinations across Africa, including daily flights onwards to Lilongwe and Blantyre in Malawi.

Commenting on the Anniversary, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “Positioned as the Heart of Europe, the UK has always been a strong and important market for Ethiopian Airlines. Celebrating 50 years is a success story of our loyalty to serving the UK with both passenger and freighter flights. As we mark half a century since we first landed in the UK, we look forward to an ever growing service to the country with more destinations and flights.”

Henock Woubishet, Area Manager UK and Ireland said, “This is a big anniversary for Ethiopian Airlines as it highlights our unwavering commitment to serving the UK. During the rest of the year, we will be celebrating this milestone with a series of events including FAM trips, campaigns and promotions. We want to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to the travelling public and our partners in UK’s travel industry for supporting our journey over the decades.”

Currently, Ethiopian serves more than 150 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations including 21 cities in Europe.

Ethiopian Airlines are also responsible for launching a brand new ‘In Terminal’ hotel at Addis Ababa. This 97 room hotel is perfect for travellers with a connecting flight that may wish to enjoy the comforts of their own hotel room, before preparing to board their ongoing journey.

Chris Mears, Executive Director of the African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA), recently got to try out the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel and said, “Travelling just got even better with Ethiopian Airlines! I recently had an amazing experience with their in-terminal hotel. I was able to book a comfortable room for a few hours or overnight, and it was incredibly convenient. I landed late at night, cleared security, and was checked into the hotel by 11:30 PM. After a good night’s sleep, a refreshing shower, and a delicious breakfast, I was able to walk upstairs and board my flight with ease. Highly recommend this hassle-free option for your next trip with Ethiopian Airlines!”

Ethiopian Airlines owns a 49% share in Malawi Airlines, allowing them to operate an excellent daily service from Addis Ababa to both of Malawi’s international airports in Lilongwe and Blantyre. The airlines continues to open new routes and expand on its network of destinations to allow seamless travel to Malawi from all over the world.