Ethiopian Cargo recalibrates operations in the wake of COVID-19

Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services, the multiple award-winning and largest cargo network operator in Africa, is adapting its operations to the evolving global demand for air cargo services following the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the current situation, Ethiopian Cargo has extended its reach to 74 destinations globally, and caters to charter flight needs anywhere […]

DHL and Ethiopian Airlines expand joint venture

DHL Global Forwarding and Ethiopian Airlines plan to grow their joint venture, with Berhanu Kassa leading the company, DHL-Ethiopian Airlines Logistics Services. The former director of logistics services at Ethiopian Airlines has been named as general manager of the joint venture, taking over from Pramod Bagalwadi, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Sub-Saharan Africa. Since its […]

Ethiopian Cargo adds Bangkok and Hanoi flights

Ethiopian Cargo has launched freighter flights to Bangkok and Hanoi, with the first flight taking off on 16 August. Flight number ET3628 leaves Addis Ababa on Fridays at 11.55 and lands in Hanoi at 21.30 local time using a Boeing 777 Freighter. It then leaves Vietnam at 23.30 and lands in Bangkok at 01.00 on […]

Ethiopian Cargo connects Chongqing with the world

Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services has connected Chongqing with Africa and the Americas on a weekly cargo flight. The weekly Boeing 777-200 Freighter service was launched on 26 June and passes through Shanghai – Chongqing – Delhi – Addis Ababa – Lagos – Sao Paulo – Quito – Miami. Located in southwest China adjacent to […]

First 737-800 freighter joins Ethiopian Cargo fleet

Ethiopian COVID-19 Vaccine airlift exceeds 50 million doses

Ethiopian Cargo took delivery of its first Boeing 737-800 Freighter on 1 March, to be used on short haul services in Africa and the Middle East. The 737-800 has a capacity of 23 tonnes, and joins the fleet of Boeing 777-200 Freighters, and passenger aircraft consisting of Airbus A350s, Boeing 787-8s and -9s, Boeing 777-300ERs […]

Ethiopian Cargo connects Miami with Africa for the first time

History was made on 29 August when Ethiopian Cargo touched down in Miami, creating the first-ever cargo route between the African continent and the Florida city. The twice-weekly scheduled flights to Addis Ababa will operate on a route including intermediate stops in Spain, Colombia and Belgium on inbound and outbound services, all utilising a Boeing […]

“Exceptional” year for Ethiopian Airlines as freight grows 18%

Freight traffic at Ethiopian Airlines grew 18 per cent in the 2017/18 fiscal year as the airline expanded its fleet and network. The airline handled 400,339 tons during the year, with operating revenue growing 43 per cent to 89.1 billion Ethiopian birr (ETB) and net profit standing at 6.8 billion ETB ($241.6 million). The fleet […]

Ethiopia leads the way with 2025 vision

In Ethiopia, there is something better than 20-20 vision, and that is Vision 2025, an ambitious plan to make the country’s flag carrier the leading aviation group in Africa, writes Stuart Flitton. The airline’s freight business is key to this dream with Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services operating eight all-cargo aircraft to 39 destinations in […]

DHL Global Forwarding and Ethiopian Airlines form joint venture

DHL Global Forwarding and Ethiopian Airlines have signed an agreement to form a joint venture company to provide much needed freight capacity and logistics infrastructure in Africa. The new Ethiopian-based company will be called DHL-Ethiopian Airlines Logistics Services, with majority stakeholder Ethiopian Airlines providing regulatory and operational support, and DHL will establish air, ocean and […]

DoKaSch to provide Ethiopian Airlines with Opticooler containers

Ethiopian Airlines is improving the quality of its climate-controlled services through the use of DoKaSch Temperature Solutions’ Opticooler container. The Opticooler is equipped with battery powered cooling compressors and heaters as well as a self regulating temperature control, so that temperature sensitive goods, in particular pharmaceuticals such as insulin and vaccines, stay within range at […]

Ethiopian launches freighter flights from Bahir Dar to Liege

Ethiopian Cargo has launched freighter flights from Bahir Dar to Liege, carrying 45 tons of flowers on the inaugural service on 24 January. The airline’s Group chief executive officer, Tewolde Gebremariam says the route is an important milestone in Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services’ history, offering direct freighter services dedicated to flowers with the aim […]

Ethiopian Airlines orders four Boeing 777Fs

Ethiopian Airlines has ordered four Boeing 777 Freighters in a deal valued at more than $1.3 billion at list prices. The deal includes a new order for two freighters. It also includes two freighters the carrier announced as a commitment in June that finalised into a firm order and posted on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries […]

Ethiopian Airlines welcomes first 787-9 Dreamliner to its fleet

Ethiopian Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, making it the first African airline to operate the aircraft. The aircraft is being leased through an agreement with AerCap and was flown directly from Boeing’s facility in Everett, Washington to Addis Ababa, a non-stop flight of 8,354 miles. The carrier is the first […]

Pharma standards can help other cool chain sectors

Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) is looking to learn from the way pharmaceuticals are now being handled and moved across the air cargo supply chain. Over the last few years, signficant investments have been made by operators whether that is in pharma facilities, or improving processes and standards through CEIV Pharma. As a result traffic has […]

Ethiopian and Azul Brazilian Airlines enter codeshare agreement

Ethiopian Airlines and Azul Brazilian Airlines have entered a codeshare agreement, which became effective from 1 October this year. Through the partnership Ethiopian Airlines will add its flight code in Azul’s operations. Reciprocally, Azul will market Ethiopian’s vast network throughout Africa and beyond. Vice president of corporate strategy and alliance, Girma Shiferaw says it will give […]

Ethiopian Airlines merges with airport operator

Ethiopian Airlines Group has merged with the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise to form the Aviation Holding Group following regulatory approval by the Council of Ministers. The new Holding Group comprises of Ethiopian Airports Enterprises, Passenger Airline, Cargo Airline & Logistics Company, Ethiopian Aviation Academy, Ethiopian Inflight Catering Services, Ethiopian MRO Services and Ethiopian Hotel & Tourism […]

60 Seconds with Fitsum Abadi

Ethiopian Cargo is Africa’s largest and fastest growing freight carrier and has ambitions to grow its network and offering significantly in the years to come. In June, it opened a new $150 million cargo terminal in Addis Ababa, giving it capacity of one million tonnes. Air Cargo Week spoke to Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics managing […]

Ethiopian Airlines inaugurates new $150m cargo terminal

Ethiopian Airlines today inaugurated its state-of-the-art $150 million Cargo Terminal-II in Addis Ababa. This gives the African carrier capacity of one million tonnes and once phase two opens it will give it another 600,000 tonnes and the new terminal adds to the existing Terminal 1. Covering 150,000 square metres the new terminal includes a dry cargo […]

Air cargo growth requires renewed commitment to Lomé Declaration – ICAO president says

Implementation of the Lomé Declaration is a crucial lever for realising the technological innovation, regulatory reform and investment in infrastructure demanded by Africa’s growth in air cargo, said the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) president, Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. He was speaking at the Second Meeting on Air Cargo Development in Addis Ababa, Africa yesterday, organised in cooperation […]

Ethiopian Airlines orders 10 more A350-900s for its long-haul network

Ethiopian Airlines has ordered an additional 10 Airbus A350-900s to enable further development of its long-haul network. The airline took delivery of its first A350 in June 2016, making it the first African operator of this aircraft, and Ethiopian now has four A350s, two of which are on lease. Ethiopian Airlines Group chief executive officer, […]

Ethiopian Airlines orders two 777 Freighters and 10 737 MAX 8s

Ethiopian Airlines has ordered two Boeing 777 Freighters valued at $651.4 million, as well as exercising the option for 10 737 MAX 8s. The commitment was announced at the Paris Air Show, and the additional 737s will make it the largest 737 MAX operator in Africa, bringing its firm orders to 30. Ethiopian Airlines Group […]

Ethiopian Airlines launches two new freighter routes to Europe

Africa’s largest cargo operator Ethiopian Airlines launched two new freighter routes to Europe – in the shape of Milan in Italy on 2 April and Zaragoza in Spain on 28 March. At the moment the carrier services the European continent to Liege in Belgium using Boeing 777 Freighters with a minimum weekly tonnage of 2,200 tonnes, and […]

Volumes grow but overcapacity hits yields at Ethiopian

As a major player in the African market, Ethiopian Airlines has suffered from declining yields caused by overcapacity, but Ethiopian Cargo managing director Fitsum Abadi (pictured below) says cargo traffic has grown strongly. He says the industry has seen huge capacity growth compared to demand, primarily due to extra space on wide-body passenger aircraft, hitting […]

Panalpina blossoming after buying Airflo

Flowers and perishables in general are blooming for Panalpina in Kenya and across Africa and it expects this trend to continue over the next five to six years. Country manager for Kenya, Conrad Archer tells Justin Burns that growth has been considerable since the acquisition of Airflo last year – Kenya’s second largest freight forwarder, which […]

Air Charter Service to supply UK government

Air Charter Service (ACS) has been appointed by the UK government as its supplier for the humanitarian division for the next two years. ACS will be a supplier for the Department of International Development and has been working with the division for a number of years. Business development director, Lloyd Robinson says ACS is delighted […]

Ethiopian becomes first African A350 operator

Ethiopian Airlines has become the first African operator to use an Airbus A350 XWB, having taken delivery of a -900 on 29 June. The aircraft, on lease from AerCap, is the first of 14 A350 XWBs on order, with 12 coming direct from Airbus and two from AerCap. Ethiopian plans to use the aircraft to […]

Ethiopian Cargo outlines expansion plans and future aims

Ethiopian Cargo is aiming to grow its freighter fleet to 18 aircraft by 2025 from the eight it operates today as it targets growth across the business. Speaking at the Africa Air Cargo Summit 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the opening speeches yesterday, the carrier’s chief executive officer, Tewolde Gebramariam said growing its fleet […]

Development of intra-African air cargo networks vital for future

Developing intra-African networks is essential to grow the continent’s airfreight market and new agreements set to come into play are set to give a significant boost. Boeing’s Thomas Crabtree (pictured above), who analyses the air cargo market for the US aircraft manufacturer told delegates at the Africa Air Cargo Summit in Addis Ababa yesterday that the […]

Challenges remain extensive in Africa, but positive signs

Africa’s air cargo market faces a raft of challenges, despite posting good growth over the last few years. Kenya Airways commercial director, Peter Musola told delegates in the session ‘Africa – the Big Picture’ at the Africa Air Cargo Summit in Addis Ababa yesterday that these include safety and security, a lack of market access, poor […]