Ethiopian Airlines delivery of first 787-9 Dreamliner. (Photo: Ethiopian Airlines)
Proudly representing Africa in the aviation industry, Ethiopian Airlines - the largest airline group in Africa - has been awarded by TripAdvisor as “The Best Business Class in Africa and Indian Ocean”.
The SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline was evaluated by TripAdvisor, together with other top carriers from around the world. Based on reviews and ratings gathered from travellers worldwide over a 12-month period, Ethiopian Airlines was recognised for service excellence with emphasis on placing quality and value in service delivery.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Tewolde GebreMariam, says that the airline offers "the best value proposition to premium travellers, whether corporate or government", boasting operational excellence and convenient connectivity with superior on-board products and customer service.
"We will continue to invest in the latest technology aircraft such as the B787 and A350 that offer unmatched on-board comfort and to enhance our premium on-ground and on-board offerings with a superior level of service so as to meet the high expectations of premium travellers and remain their airline of choice,” says GebreMariam.
In January 2018, the airline announced that it will be flying three times a week to Geneva in Switzerland starting in June 2018, in an attempt to boost diplomacy.
GebreMariam believes the two cities' reputations as diplomacy hubs makes this an important route. "Geneva hosts the highest number of international organisations in the world, making it a global hub for diplomacy. It’s a perfect complement to Addis our main hub and Africa’s diplomatic capital with the headquarters of the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa."
Spotlight on airlines providing the best flying experience
Bryan Saltzburg, senior VP and GM for TripAdvisor Flights says that “As the airline industry introduces new fare products and a widening array of in-flight offerings, consumers continue to seek out the carriers that deliver value and a quality experience. The Travelers’ Choice awards for airlines recognise the carriers that exceed passenger expectations and receive top marks from travellers.”
Ethiopian, a multi-award winning airline, has twice received the SKYTRAX World Airline Award for Best Airline Staff in Africa, and earlier in 2017 it scooped the SKYTRAX World Airline Award for Best Airline in Africa.
In addition to this, it recently won the 2018 Africa’s Outstanding Food Services by a Carrier award as voted by PAX International readers.
GebreMariam says that as part of the airline's Vision 2025, it built "the largest and most modern catering facility in the continent" at the main hub in Addis Ababa with a daily production capacity of 100 000 meals.
"This has enabled us to significantly upgrade the capacity, the quality and the variety of our meal production. Our modern catering facility produces a variety of cuisines that can meet the need of our esteemed customers ranging from our national Ethiopian dishes to Chinese, Indian and Italian culinary delights. It also caters for specific dietary needs with vegan, Halal and Kosher meals. Going forward, we will further diversify our meal offering with more choices and culinary delights from across Africa and other parts of the world,” he adds.