By Stanley Senya
Accra, Aug. 21, GNA- Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is set to commence thrice weekly services to and from London-Gatwick, starting from November 21, 2023.
A statement issued in Accra by Mr Mesfin Tasew, the Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO said, the new service would be operational on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Mr Tasew said, “We have a 50-year relationship with the UK. We give high regards to our Heathrow services and now we are excited to add Gatwick to our vast global network.
“We are ready to stretch our reach to Gatwick and provide our renowned, award-winning services,” he said.
He said history had it that they last served Gatwick in 2005 and 2006 using the Boeing 757.
Mr Tasew stated that currently, the route would be served by the most modern Airbus A350-900 aircraft, adding that over the years, they had established commendable partnerships with over 100 UK based companies in the aviation sector.
“Our expansion in the UK, among others, will enable us to nurture this cooperation and partnership to a higher level,” he added.
The new service by Ethiopian, would offer a direct flight between London-Gatwick and Addis Ababa onboard Airbus A350 with Business Class and Economy cabins,
providing seamless connectivity to Ethiopian Airlines’ vast global networks stretched across Africa, Far East, the Americas, and Asia.
Mr Henock Woubishet, the Area Manager UK and Ireland, said the UK was a strong and important market for Ethiopian, and adding London-Gatwick to its existing schedule was truly great news, as it would enable the company to provide the needed capacity not only for our passengers but also for our cargo services carried in the belly hold.
He said Ethiopian would now serve London Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester Airports.
Madam Stephanie Wear, the Vice-President for Aviation Development, London Gatwick said they were delighted to welcome Ethiopian Airlines back to London Gatwick this winter.
She said as the largest carrier in Africa, this was an excellent addition to their network, with an added valuable, direct connection to Eastern Africa.
She said Ethiopian Airlines was the latest in several carriers looking to operate long-haul routes from Gatwick, which further highlighted the strong demand for slots at its airport.
It is also fantastic news for passengers across London and the South East to have choices and direct services to Addis Ababa, as well as greater opportunities for onward connections across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
The statement said the service would complement the airlines daily non-stop A350 flights from T2 London Heathrow to Addis Ababa and five times weekly A350 service from T2 Manchester to Addis Ababa, with connections to more than 60
African destinations across East, South, Central and West Africa and connections to the Far East and Asia.
In its 77 years of successful operations, Ethiopian, the fastest growing airline, has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.
GNA
CAA/CA
21 Aug. 2023