Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed it will operate a four-times-a-week service from Manchester Airport into the heart of Africa- Addis Ababa.
The route will unlock connections to more than 58 countries across the African continent.
Ethiopian, which flies to more destinations in Africa than any other carrier, will operate the ultramodern B-787 on the route with business and economy classes.
It will serve as a key trade route for Northern businesses, opening up fresh export opportunities and delivering cost and journey time savings to those already operating there.
The service will start on December 1, initially transiting via Brussels. It will leave Manchester at 19:00, arriving at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport at 06:00, providing significant onward connectivity options from the African hub. On the return it departs Addis Ababa at 00:45 and arrives in Manchester at 06:55.
Manchester Airport CEO Andrew Cowan observed that the introduction of the route underlined the critical role Manchester Airport played in connecting the people and businesses of the North to the world’s most important markets.
“While we have served a number of African holiday destinations for many years, this service will provide vital connectivity to one of the continent’s most important hub airports.
Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam said the Airline was elated to start services to Manchester, “our second destination in the UK next to London Heathrow which we have been serving since 1973. As the leading African carrier with the widest network in the continent, passengers from Manchester will enjoy convenient and seamless connectivity options to 58 African destinations operated with cutting-edge fleet like the B-787 and A350 which offer our passengers unparalleled comfort on-board our flights, along with our African flavoured Ethiopian hospitality.”
“The socio-economic implication of the new flight is immense. With vast investment and trade potentials between Africa and the UK, the upcoming flight holds the promise of boosting trade, investment and tourism with ample business opportunities for investors and business people from both regions.”
Alex Marshall, Group Marketing and Compliance Director, Clarke Energy (Liverpool) & Northern Powerhouse Export Champion, said:
“With our extensive operations across Africa, we are pleased to learn about this new flight to Addis Ababa from Manchester Airport, giving us extensive new route options across the continent. Sheona Southern, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, said:
“The new route connecting Manchester with Addis Ababa is a great success for Greater Manchester and for the wider North of England. This opens up Greater Manchester to visitors, businesses investors and students from a new continent “Greater Manchester’s growth strategy has internationalization at its heart, and Manchester has set a clear target to become a top global city by 2035. If we’re to achieve this aim, it’s vital that we continue to increase our connections with major international hubs, increasing the opportunities for global networks to choose Manchester as a place to visit, meet, invest and study in.
“In this respect, this new route with Ethiopian Airlines is a huge step forward.”
