Article from BTNews 9 JULY 2018
Ethiopian celebrates
The Great Conservatory in London’s Syon Park, right under the Heathrow flight path, was an appropriate setting last week for an Ethiopian Airlines anniversary dinner to celebrate 45 years of operating from the UK.
Now known as Africa’s flagship airline, Ethiopian, operating just two Boeing B720s, launched its inaugural flight between Addis Ababa and London in June 1973 with four flights a week by Boeing B720 stopping in Rome, Frankfurt and Cairo.
The company has grown extensively over 45 years since and now operates 10 weekly non-stop flights between Heathrow to Addis Ababa using the state-of-the-art Airbus A350. Last month it took delivery of its 100th aircraft, a Boeing B787-900 (BTN 4 June).
It has announced a four-a-week schedule between Manchester and Addis Ababa from 11 December this year and its expanding international network now spans 110 destinations across five continents, including the largest African network of 54 destinations.
Guests at last week’s dinner included the Ethiopian ambassador to the UK, Hailemichael Aberra, airline staff old and new, partners from the travel and tourism industry, media and many of the airline's valued supporters over the past 45 years.
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