Ethiopian Airlines set to become first African carrier serving Chicago

April 18, 2018

Ethiopian Airline-2

By Lewis Lazare – Reporter, Chicago Business Journal
Ethiopian Airlines will be the first airline based in Africa to serve Chicago.

The carrier said that on June 9, it will begin nonstop service three times a week between Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital.

The new Ethiopian Airlines route will become the eighth new international route planned to launch from Chicago in 2018, including new service to Budapest, Venice and London-Gatwick Airport.

Chicago Department of Aviation commissioner Ginger Evans immediately hailed the new Ethiopian service as a breakthrough event for the city.

“This landmark route will unlock new opportunities for the City of Chicago and travelers across the globe,” Evans said. “We look forward to partnering with Ethiopian Airlines to deliver new tourism and economic opportunities here and throughout Africa.”

Ethiopian’s move to serve Chicago comes more than 10 years after South African Airways, another high-profile African carrier, announced it would starting serve Chicago in 2007 from its headquarters hub in Johannesburg, South Africa. But months later, without explanation, South African Airways suddenly reversed its decision to serve Chicago, and nothing has been heard from the airline since then.

But Ethiopian Airlines, which has a strong 4-star rating from Skytrax, the airline industry’s respected independent rating service, looks to be picking up where South African Airways left off.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebre Mariam, said of the new service: “Ethiopian Airlines is striving to accelerate the U.S.-Africa connection as part of our service expansion plan. From Chicago O’Hare, one of the best connected airports in the U.S., we will propel connections between Africa to the rest of the world like never before. We are well positioned to provide the missing link in connecting Africa with its major trading partners in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North and South America.”

Ethiopian’s entry into Chicago could become a competitive threat for the three Middle East carriers serving Chicago, namely Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways. Part of their strategy entering Chicago was to provide connecting service to Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Asian destinations not easily reached via other carriers from Chicago.

Now Ethiopian could provide another more attraction option for travelers en route to Africa and possibly beyond. Ethiopian serves 55 destinations in Africa from its hub in Addis Ababa, as well as destinations in the Indian Ocean region.

Ethiopian’s new Chicago route will depart O’Hare on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on a 270-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 24 angle-flat seats in its Cloud Nine-branded business class and 246 seats in the economy cabin.

The Chicago Department of Aviation expects the new route will generate $70 million in annual economic impact in the Chicago area.

To book your flight to Ethiopia, and the rest of Africa contact Admas Travel at 612-822-2208 or visit http://www.admastravel.com

 

 

Leave a Comment » | Ethiopian Airlines | Permalink
Posted by Tourist Life

Ethiopian Airlines to Expand Service to Dublin and Los Angeles

January 19, 2015

EAL-ChangiAirport1

Good news for international travelers toEurope, California and Africa: Ethiopian Airlines has finalized preparations to commence flights to Dublin and Los Angeles starting from June 2015.

Ethiopian flights to Dublin and Los Angeles will be operated three times a week with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The flights will be the only direct service connecting Africa with Ireland and the West Coast of the United States. The flights will also be the only direct service between Dublin and Los Angeles.

“Our new flights connecting Addis Ababa, Dublin and Los Angeles will play a critical role in the expansion of trade and tourism investment between the fast-growing continent of Africa, the United States and Ireland,” Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, said in a statement. “As these flights will be the first and only direct air route linking Africa with Ireland and the West Coat of the U.S., they will bring these two seemingly distant cities much closer to Africa and will facilitate mobility and connectivity for businesses and the large African Diaspora community living in the West Coast of the United States.”

With the addition of Dublin, the airline’s 11th European city, and Los Angeles, its fourth point in the Americas, the Ethiopian Airlines international network will cover 85 destinations across five continents.

Ethiopian currently serves 83 international destinations across five continents with over 200 daily departures.

Source: Trave agent central

Leave a Comment » | Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines | Permalink
Posted by Tourist Life

Ethiopia the first place of God stepped in the world

July 23, 2013

 

Ethiopia-Tourism-Attraction-

It is also known as Tis Abay in the Amharic language which if translated to English, means “the smoking water” named drawn from the fact that the dropping of the water creates a smoke-like bounce of water droplets in a fantastic and magnificent scene. The Blue Nile Falls is considered to be one of Ethiopia’s best known tourist attractions site in the country.

The Blue Nile Falls is located at the upper course of the Nile River about 30 km downstream from the town of Bahir Dar which is about some 319.67 kilometers total in distance from the national capital, Addis Ababa.

The waterfalls consist of four main streams that is originally different from a ooze in the dry season to over 400 metres wide in the rainy season as a result of the diversion of Lake Tana which has to some extent reduced the variation of the water since 2003 in pursuant of a hydro-electric station by the Ethiopian government but nevertheless, the falls is still at its best offering a good atmosphere for those who visit the place.

palace-main-Ethiopia

This has caused a decrease in the flowing water of Blue Nile Falls, but the fact still remains that the full beauty of the falls can still be appreciated during Sundays and holidays because the hydroelectric station is believed to only operates during weekdays and for this reason, it is advisable for tourist to visit the place on Sundays or Ethiopian public holidays.

Ecological experts say the Blue Nile Waterfalls has isolated the ecology of Lake Tana from the ecology of the rest of the Nile and this has helped played a role in the evolution of the endemic fauna of the Lake Tana.

Blue Nile Falls-420x0 1 The flora around the falls can also be appreciated; there are many plant species endemic only to that area. The Blue Nile Falls are also enriched with different types of wildlife that can only be found in Ethiopia as one of the best scenes in Africa.

The Lake Tana itself is home to many island monasteries which were believe to be built by the missionary man Manuel de Almeida from Portugal. Some of the monasteries can be visited after a short boat ride on the Island and it also has many decent restaurants and hotels along its shores.

From a short distance downstream of the falls, is the first ever stone bridge (Portuguese Bridge) constructed in Ethiopia which was believed to have been built under the command of the legendary Emperor, Susenyos in 1626, serving as a bonus to tourists who visit the Blue Nile Waterfalls.

According to Manuel de Almeida (1580–1646) a native of Viseu, from the Kingdom of Portugal, who entered at an early age into the Society of Jesus, and went out as a missionary to India, Ethiopia and Eritrea particularly in the Lake Tana area in Ethiopia, said stone for making lime had been found nearby along the tributary Alata, and a craftsman who had come from India with Afonso Mendes, the Catholic Patriarch of Ethiopia then supervised the construction of the historic bridge which some call the Portuguese Bridge.

The Blue Nile Falls has an enormous height of 37 to 45 meters or around 150 feet and its width is estimated at about half a mile, making watching the river water drop down the waterfalls truly breathtaking for people who visit the place.

blue_nile_falls-Ethiopia

Reaching the Blue Nile Falls is easy as there are various trips that can be arranged as it is a main tourist spot in Ethiopia. There are many locals that make their income from the benefits of tourism; many are selling food and drinks like calabashes and sodas.

The best of accommodation await any tourist who visits the Blue Nile Falls as there are hotels available at a few kilometers away from the falls.

But remember that if you are planning to visit the Blue Nile Waterfalls, it is recommendable that you wear comfortable clothes as the trail on the way to the falls is quite bumpy and not that comfortable but it will be a tour that will live in your memory forever. To book to Ethiopia visit http://www.admastravel.com or call 612-822-2208

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa Tourism News

Leave a Comment » | Africa, Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines | Permalink
Posted by Tourist Life

Dreamliner fire closed London Heathrow Airport

July 12, 2013

EAL

Ethiopian Airlines issues a statement about their B787 incident at London Heathrow Airport: Today on Friday, 12 July 2013, smoke was detected from Ethiopian Airlines B787 aircraft with registration number ET-AOP, which was parked at London Heathrow airport for more than eight hours.

The aircraft was empty when the incident was observed.

The cause of the incident is under investigation by all concerned.

Further statement will be issued in due course, as we receive more information.

London’s Heathrow airport closed to flights following a fire involving a Boeing Co. (BA) 787 jet operated by Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise, while a second Dreamliner was forced to abandon a trip with technical issues. Shares of the U.S. planemaker had their biggest drop in almost two years.

The aircraft, Boeing’s newest model and beset by battery-related fire incidents that grounded the global fleet earlier this year, was sprayed with fire-retardant foam after the Heathrow event. No one was on board and there were no injuries.

Takeoffs and landings were suspended at Europe’s busiest hub for about an hour while emergency services attended the jet, before flights resumed later with significant delays. The cause of the fire is unknown, Heathrow Ltd. (FER) said on its Twitter feed, with television pictures appearing to show damage on the rear upper fuselage close to the aircraft’s tail.

“We’re aware of the 787 event at Heathrow airport and have Boeing personnel there,” the Chicago-based company said via Twitter, adding that it had sent people to the scene. “We’re working to fully understand and address this.”

Ethiopian Air said the aircraft had been parked at Heathrow for more than eight hours before smoke was detected. “The cause of the incident is under investigation by all concerned,” Henok Teferra, a spokesman for the carrier, said in a text message.

Leave a Comment » | Airlines, Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines | Permalink
Posted by Tourist Life

Ethiopian Airlines Awarded Best Airline Staff Service in Africa

June 20, 2013

EAL

The 2013 World Airline Awards were announced at the Paris Air Show yesterday and  Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian), the fastest growing airline in Africa, was  awarded as the Best Airline Staff Service in Africa.

The World Airline  Awards are presented by Skytrax, the world’s largest airline and airport review  site. Awards are bestowed based on reviews from more than 180 million completed
customer surveys measuring passenger experiences on the ground and onboard.  Ethiopian’s outstanding customer service propelled the airline to the top of the  Africa category.

“This award is a testament to the hard work of  Ethiopian’s more than 7,000 employees,” said Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of  Ethiopian. “We are proud that the training and development of our staff is being recognized and pledge that we will continue to provide the best possible travel experience to our customers.”

Ethiopian is currently implementing a  15-year strategic plan, Vision 2025, which emphasizes five-star service delivery, along with state-of-the-art technology and a modern fleet. The World Airline Award affirms that Ethiopian is on the right track.

About

Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing  airline in Africa. In its almost seven decades of operation, Ethiopian has  become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network, operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 74 international destinations across five continents. The Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as the Boeing 787, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200LR Freighter, and Bombardier  Q-400 with double cabin. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to  own and operate these aircraft.

Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan, entitled “Vision 2025,” which will see the airline become the leading aviation group in Africa with seven business centers:
Ethiopian Domestic and Regional Airline; Ethiopian International Passenger  Airline; Ethiopian Cargo; Ethiopian MRO; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian In-flight Catering Services; and Ethiopian Ground Service.

Ethiopian is a multi-award-winning airline and a member of Star Alliance since 2011, registering an average growth of 25 percent in the past seven years.

Leave a Comment » | Africa, Airlines, Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines, Land of Culture | Permalink
Posted by Tourist Life

%d bloggers like this: