MOBILIZING DEVELOPMENT

Analysis and Policy Recommendations from the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport 58
Tewolde Gebre Mariam
Chief Executive Officer
Ethiopian Airlines
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Mr. TEWOLDE Gebre Mariam is the Group CEO of Ethiopian
Airlines and serving at the helm of this global-standard
flag carrier of Ethiopia since January 2011. He is a holder
of a BA degree in Economics and an MBA from the Open
University in the UK. He serves in various Boards, including
the International Air Transport Association, the African
Airlines Association, and the Africa Travel Association.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT SHOWCASE:
Contribution to the Socio-Economic Development of Africa
Legal name
Sector
Headquarter location
Ethiopian Airlines Company
Aviation
Addis Ababa , Ethiopia
Founding year December 1945
Number of employees 12,593
Website
www.ethiopianairlines.com
Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing and most
profitable airline in Africa. It has been driven by its Pan-
African vision and unswerving commitment to bring
Africa together by developing comprehensive air links
throughout the continent.
Over the past seven decades, Ethiopian Airlines has been a
pioneer of African aviation as an aircraft technology leader.
Ethiopian Airlines provided the first jet service in the
continent in 1962, the first African B787 Dreamliner in 2012
and is leading the way again by providing the first African
A350 XWB.
Ethiopian Airlines joined Star Alliance, the world’s
largest Airline network, in December 2011. It is currently
implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025
that will see it become the leading airline group in Africa
with seven strategic business units. Ethiopian Airlines is
a multi-award winning airline, including SKYTRAX World
Airline Award for Best Airline Staff in Africa, for the second
time, in July 2016.
Ethiopian Airlines contributed to the socio-economic
development of Africa. It has been serving the African
continent since its establishment as an airline in
1946 by ‘bringing Africa together.’ Ethiopian Airlines
spearheaded Africa’s socio-economic and cultural
integration, connecting people, moving goods and
services for the last 70 years on the continent when, for
a long time, the only way to fly from one part of Africa
to another was either via Paris or London.
The Ethiopian Cargo freighter service has been playing
an important role in the transport of horticulture
produces from Kenya and later from Ethiopia. Through
its vast passenger flights network coupled with
freighter services, Ethiopian Airlines significantly
contributed to the growth and development of trade
relationship of the African nations within the continent
and with the rest of the world.
Ethiopian Airlines plays instrumental role in promoting
tourism, investment and cultural exchange and serves
as a vast global cargo network with state of the art cargo
facilities to promote import and export. It is registering
an average annual growth of 25% in the past seven years.
As ‘a good corporate citizen,’ Ethiopian Airlines supports
many community initiatives and, via its ‘Fly Greener
Campaign,’ strives to minimize carbon emission to make
the world a better place to live.