Ethiopian Airlines well placed for partnerships, CEO outlines progress in five countries

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam, speaking at CAPA Live February 2021, stated (10-Feb-2021) greater cooperation and partnerships between African airlines "would have been economically beneficial for everyone in the continent". He said Ethiopian will be well placed to partner with airlines and governments after the coronavirus pandemic. Mr GebreMariam outlined some of Ethiopian's plans to establish partnerships, as follows:

• Zambia Airways: The project is in the "final stage". Mr GebreMariam said Ethiopian is "very hopeful" about the new airline, noting Zambia's advantages of a central location, relatively large and successful economy and relatively successful democracy;
• Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines: Mr GebreMariam said the carrier is "now positioning itself in a very good foundation". The airline will operate within Mozambique and to South Africa;
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Mr GebreMariam said the DRC is a very large but very challenging market and Ethiopian hopes to establish a hub in the country;
• TAAG: Mr GebreMariam said "we want to cooperate with TAAG" and preliminary discussions are underway;
• South Africa: The country is "a very different market" and "a big market", but its geographic location is not suitable for a hub operation. Mr GebreMariam also noted South Africa is "a very, very competitive market". Ethiopian's efforts to cooperate with South African Airways have been "a challenge so far" and progress has been slow.