Ethiopian Airlines Group is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the start of its services to the United States (US).
Ethiopian connected Africa with the US in June 1998 with its cross-Atlantic flights to Washington D.C., the capital city and federal district of the United States.
A statement by the media consultant to the airline in Nigeria stated that Ethiopian and the US aviation industry share an impressive relationship that dates back to the 1940s when the airline was founded in December 1945, in partnership with Trans World Airlines (TWA).
The statement hinted that in the years since then, Ethiopian has been a proud partner to American aviation firms, including Boeing and GE Aerospace.
Commenting on the anniversary, Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), expressed delight with the milestone.
He noted that Ethiopian was the pioneer African flag carrier, which started services to Washington D.C., in June 1998, stressing that its flights had been instrumental in facilitating trade and businesses, promoting tourism, and strengthening socio-economic ties between Africa and the US.
He added: “Ethiopian now is connecting the US with Africa direct from Addis Ababa, Lomé, and Abidjan cities. We are indebted to the US Government and our aviation partners for the mutually beneficial cooperation that lasts over the past 75 years of our journey.
“As the US will always remain a significant part of our strategic expansion plan, we will continue connecting the US with the African market to enhance cooperation between the two regions.”
Commending Ethiopian role of availing connectivity services, Amb. Tracey Ann Jacobson, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia said that the two countries share a long and unique history, especially in the aviation industry.
He recalled that in 1945, African-American pilot Colonel John Robinson had travelled to Ethiopia to train pilots and to help organise the country’s national airline.