Story ID: 
Ethiopian Airlines Launches VIP Charter Flight Division
By: Kaleyesus Bekele
Caption: East African carrier has taken delivery of a Boeing Business Jet
Word Count: 309
Ethiopian Airlines is launching a private charter flight division and recently took delivery of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) to begin operations. Mesfin Tasew, who is CEO of the airline—Africa’s largest—told AIN that the company had established the new Ethiopian Executive business unit after seeing rising demand for head-of-state and VIP flights using its existing airliners.
According to the carrier, the 737 Max-based BBJ will be configured with between 19 and 32 seats for various charter missions booked for individuals or groups. Tasew said the company is now evaluating other business aircraft as it looks to expand this part of its fleet.
Ethiopian Airlines operates 156 airliners, including a mix of Boeing 787s, 777s, and 737 Max narrowbodies, as well as some Airbus A350 widebodies. It has operated commercial flights for 79 years and has established a strong hub operation from its base in East Africa.
The Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, is a center for governmental activity as home to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as well as several other international agencies and organizations. As such, it has the third-largest concentration of diplomatic missions after New York and Geneva.
“This indicates that there is the demand for charter flight services,” Tasew said. “It also complements our main line of business.”
The airline’s CEO believes that the carrier’s main hub at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (HAAB) is strategically positioned between the Middle East and Africa, regions that are seeing rising demand for business aviation services.
In the Gulf, Qatar Executive has established a growing VIP operation as an offshoot of Qatar Airlines. Generally speaking, the African continent has a somewhat dispersed business aviation sector, with concentrations of aircraft operators in countries such as Nigeria and South Africa.