From Left-
Esayas Weldemariam, Director of International Service at Ethiopian Airlines
Group, Troy Damian Fitrell, Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States
Embassy in Ethiopia and Greg Gilchrist, Senior Vice President of Sabre of the
U.S. company which has been providing IT solutions for Ethiopian Airlines for
the past 11 years. The two sides have agreed to extend their business
partnership for the coming 7 years.
In Summary
The Director of International Service at the Ethiopian Airlines
Group, MrEsayasWeldemariam, Wednesday said they were expanding their presence
in western Africa.
Addis Ababa, Wednesday. Ethiopian Airlines is negotiating
with the Nigerian government to take over the bankrupt Arik Air, a senior
official confirmed in Addis Ababa.
The Director of
International Service at the Ethiopian Airlines Group, MrEsayasWeldemariam,
Wednesday said they were expanding their presence in western Africa.
“Following the
bid opened by the Nigerian government, we are negotiating to secure management
contract of Arik Air,” MrEsayas said, responding to the rumours about the
impending deal.
“Based on the
terms and conditions set by the Government of Nigeria, Ethiopian Airlines has
submitted its offer to take over the management of Arik Air… We are bidding
with other airlines, if we agree on the negotiations, we are ready to go and
take over the management,” he said.
Arik Air, which
is one of the largest private airlines in Nigeria, has been serving as the
de-facto national carrier for the most populous state in Africa.
Following the
failure to service its debts and pay employees’ salaries, Arik Air was last
February taken over by the government.
Ethiopian
Airlines also manages Asky Airlines in Lome, in a joint ownership with the Togo
government, and the Malawian Airlines, also jointly with the government.
The airline,
which began operations in April 1946, was in 2014 ranked the largest in Africa
in revenue by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Ethiopian
Airlines Group, which has several related business wings, envisages becoming a
$10 billion revenue generating company by 2030, with a total of 140 aircraft,
according to MrEsayas.
It currently
has a fleet of 92 aircraft, flying to 104 international 19 local destinations.
The Citizen
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