Ethiopian Airlines had a joint celebration in Dublin to mark its 70th Anniversary and the first year of operating flights to Ireland. The airline marked the occasion by hosting a lunch at Derry Clarke’s Michelin-starred restaurant, L’Ecrivan, for their top agents.
Michael Yohannes, the airline’s General Manager for the island of Ireland, told ITTN that the carrier was very pleased with the volume of business that been generated in the Irish market with a 50/50 split between the two ex-Dublin destinations of Addis Ababa and Los Angeles. The airline also plans on bringing its new Airbus A350 to Dublin for a promotional visit for the trade. Michael added that they plan to increase the flight frequency to Los Angeles to four per week.
Ethiopian also offers onward connections with Virgin America from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Las Vegas, Honolulu, and Seattle.
Ethiopian passengers can access another 52 destinations on the African continent from the Addis Ababa hub. A new international airport is planned to begin construction in 2016, rumoured to be on a scale with London Heathrow when completed.
Tony Flynn, Sales Manager for Ireland, said that he had only joined the airline four months ago but they were the most hectic he had ever experienced in his travel career. He pointed out that the average fleet age is only five years. He told the agents that their mantra is: “We are here to help”.
