Ethiopian Airlines’ set to revamp Africa’s air industry

Aug 23, 2018: Ethiopian Airlines is all set to team up with four African airlines and has inked a deal for a fifth one, Tewolde Gebremariam, group CEO, Ethiopian Airlines stated.

Gebremariam told that his company has finalised deals giving it a 49 percent stake in the national airlines of Guinea, which was recently relaunched after grounded 15 years ago, and Chad whose airline was grounded in 2012 over serious safety concerns.

It has also finalised a deal to take a 45 percent stake in Zambia Airways, which went down in the nineties, and taken over the management of Equatorial Guinea's airline which has also battled safety concerns. Ethiopian Airlines has also formed a new airline in Mozambique with full ownership.

"Guinea Airlines is preparing to start flights to neighbouring and regional countries soon. Chad Airlines will start work on October 1 and Mozambique Airlines will start operations by the end of the year and at the request of Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang, Ethiopian has taken over complete management of the country's national air carrier," said Gebremariam.

He further added that the airline wanted closer ties with other carriers on the continent to create a feeling that it is an "African airline", in line with African Union goals for greater economic integration.

Ethiopian Airlines also recently announced talks to buy a stake in Eritrean Airlines after a landmark peace deal ended a bitter 20-year conflict between the two nations and they resumed air links.

The carrier from Africa's second most populous country already has interests in the airline of Malawi and Togo-based private carrier ASKY, and has expressed its desire to help establish nascent state-run carrier Nigeria Air.