Ethiopian Airlines to boost India flights, eyes higher traffic from BRICS

Ethiopian Airlines is keen to add 3-5 destinations in India as it eyes higher traffic from BRICS countries. BRICS refers to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest carrier in Africa, is allowed to operate 35 flights per week to Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai.

The airline is starting thrice weekly flights to Chennai from July 2 and will deploy Boeing 787 aircraft on its four weekly Addis Ababa-Bengaluru flights. Similarly, Mumbai and Delhi will have two daily flights from mid-June, up from the current single daily operation.

Ethiopian Airlines would like to add 3-5 destinations in India and increase the number of flights, the airline's Chief Commercial Officer Lemma Yadecha said on Thursday. "Discussions are ongoing between the civil aviation authorities of Ethiopia and India in that regard," he added.

Ethiopian Airlines began its flights to Delhi in 1966, while flights to Mumbai started in 1971.

Around 65-70 per cent of passengers from India travel onward from Addis Ababa to other destinations within Africa.

"BRICS countries are our focus markets. With our geographical advantage we are carrying a large number of passengers and cargo between India and South Africa/Brazil and also between China and Latin America. We are also carrying traffic from Russia to Africa. Traffic from Russia has not decreased despite the war," Yadecha said.

At present Air India is the only Indian carrier which flies to Africa. Air India flies from Delhi and Mumbai to Nairobi in Kenya.