Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, launched its direct service between Addis Ababa and Dhaka today.
The inaugural flight, Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner, ET 678, reached at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 8:45am, where it was welcomed with a water cannon salute.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. The return flight departed HSIA for Addis Ababa at 9:45am initiating regular services between the two capitals.
The airline will operate five flights a week on this route, with morning departures from Dhaka on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and evening departures on Mondays and Fridays.
This new service provides Bangladeshi travellers with access to over 140 destinations, including those in Africa, Europe, and North America.
At an inaugural event at HSIA, Air Vice Marshal Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), welcomed the Ethiopian Airlines delegation, which included Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority Director General Getachew Mengistie Alemayehu and Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Commercial Officer Lemma Yadecha.
Monjur expressed optimism about the airline’s impact on trade, tourism, and cultural ties between Bangladesh and Africa.
Alemayehu highlighted the importance of the new route for strengthening socio-economic connections.
Yadecha said that Ethiopian Airlines aims to expand to daily service in the future.
Ethiopian Airlines currently operates a fleet of 147 aircraft and serves as Africa’s largest airline by passenger volume, destinations, and revenue.
The Dhaka route marks an expansion of its South Asian network, which already includes Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Karachi.