Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, is seeking “commercial” partnerships with domestic budget carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet, according to a senior company official.
Ethiopian Airlines already has a codeshare agreement with Tata Group-owned Air India.
The airline has stated that it is looking into the possibility of establishing an aircraft (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facility in India. Its nonstop airline services to Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are now available.
Freighter services are also available to Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru.
In an interview with PTI, Ethiopian Airlines’ Regional Director for India Subcontinent Tigist Eshetu said, “It is one of the essential destinations for Ethiopian Airlines’ passenger and cargo flights.”
Ethiopian Airlines began flying to Delhi from its main city of Addis Ababa in 1966, and then expanded to Mumbai in December 1971. Bengaluru was added to its network in late 2019.
Ethiopian Airlines has been steadily increasing its frequency, adding new cities, and upgrading its aircraft in India.
She predicts that this trend will continue in the future years.
According to Eshetu, the airline plans to start service from Chennai on July 2 with three weekly flights, with either a Boeing 737 Max or a Boeing 787 Dreamliner depending on market demand.
Other destinations such as Ahmedabad and Hyderabad are also on the radar going forward.
“By leveraging our agility and diverse business strategy, we’ve been able to navigate through the COVID-19 turmoil.”
“When passenger numbers dwindled following the COVID epidemic, our freight business was important in generating a revenue stream,” she said.
Because of its flexibility, she noted, the airline was able to adapt a number of its passenger planes for cargo operations.
“A possible set-up/tie-up with Indian authorities is now being evaluated at our central office,” she said.
"There is desire from the Ethiopian side for enhancement in frequency and entry places," she added, noting that Ethiopian Airlines is on a big expansion plan despite the pandemic's impact. We expect the Indian side to be on the same page as the Americans.
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