ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES SINGLED OUT BY AIRBUS FOR RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION
(Posted 17th December 2020)
Ethiopian Airlines’ response to the pandemic seen as exemplary and putting Africa at par with the rest of the aviation world
Airbus, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, has awarded Ethiopian Airlines for their unique innovation, flexibility and resilience that it displayed amid theonset of the COVID 19 global crisis.
In connection with the award, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, the Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO remarked, “We at Ethiopian are immensely delighted that one of the top companies in the world, Airbus, has recognized the efforts of the management and employees of Ethiopian Airlines unique agility and resilience amid the COVID 19 global crisis. We were there when the world needed us most. I would like to express my gratitude to the over 17 Thousand hardworking Ethiopian employees and management team."
Mr. Hadi Akoum, Airbus Vice President Sales Africa and Levant Customer Affairs on his part said, "This is to express the admiration of Airbus executive management and Airbus whole employees for the unbelievable achievement of Ethiopian Airlines in this unprecedented epidemic. While other airlines were just trying to figure out what to do, Ethiopia Airlines was aggressively pressing ahead finding solution, creating solution converting their passenger aircraft to freighters. Ethiopian Airlines is the first one to do it on Airbus A350 and continue to fly and create even new business. This is something unique all over the world. Today, Ethiopian Airlines is able to maintain the operation of all fleet where others are at 10 percent of their capability, and many airlines have just simply gone bankrupt and people have lost their jobs. This has been done because of the visionary leadership, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam. Ethiopian Airlines today is showing the example to the whole world in resilience and visionary thinking of the leadership. Thank you very much, it is a real admiration that we express at Airbus for your leadership and for Ethiopian Airlines Employees. “
Ethiopian Airlines was the first airline worldwide that converted A350 passenger aircraft to fit cargo operations and to transport the much needed medical supplies to combat the spread of COVID 19.
The airline is operating 16 A350 aircraft across its network.
