“Ethiopian Airlines achieved the highest overall dispatch reliability and stood first in the overall Q-400 product category for the Middle East and Africa region.”

Press release

Ethiopian Airlines has won the 2010 Annual Airline Reliability Performance Award from the Bombardier Aerospace. According to Bombardier, “Ethiopian Airlines achieved the highest overall dispatch reliability and stood first in the overall Q-400 product category for the Middle East and Africa region.” The award ceremony was hosted by the Canadian Embassy in Addis Ababa on May 21, 2011.

Ethiopian Airlines has been playing a pivotal role in bringing the different regions of Ethiopia within easy reach of Addis Ababa, the capital. This effort has been further enhanced with the introduction of the brand new Q400 NextGen aircraft. Ethiopian has been operating eight Q-400 Bombardier aircraft for domestic and regional services since March 2010. Currently, the dispatch reliability (on-time performance) has reached 99.3% enhancing its customer services to new heights.

With the introduction of the Q-400 aircraft, which has the quietest engine in its category, Ethiopian not only has enhanced the comfort and safety of its customers but it has also effectively addressed the need for additional capacity spurred by the country’s double digit economic growth which continued on for over six years in a raw.

The 78 seater Q-400 aircraft has been supporting the ever increasing tourism market of the country and domestic as well as regional business travel, which is growing fast along side the economy. Enhancing further its domestic and regional services, Ethiopian Airlines will connect Ethiopian regional states to neighboring countries in the near future.

Bombardier’s Airline Reliability Performance Awards are presented each year to operators of CRJ services and Q-400 series aircraft in recognition of outstanding dispatch reliability. Each winner must succeed in delivering an average dispatch reliability rate of 99 percent or better on revenue passenger flight in 2011 and the highest dispatch reliability performance in their respective product class and region.

About Ethiopian

Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946. With the addition of new flight services to Hangzhou, Milan, and Madras Ethiopian will provide dependable services to 62 international destinations spanning four continents.

Recently, Ethiopian won the 2011 “AFRICAN CARGO AIRLINE OF THE YEAR” Award for its excellence in air cargo. Ethiopian won the NEPAD Transport Infrastructure Excellence Awards 2009 and the 2009 “Airline of the Year” award from the African Airlines Association (AFRAA). In August, 2008, Ethiopian won “the 2008 Corporate Achievement Award” of Aviation & Allied Business for setting the pace towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry. Ethiopian is also the first African carrier to win the 2008 Brussels Airport Company Award in recognition of its distinguished long haul operations witnessed through the introduction of new routes, new products, and close cooperation with Brussels Airport in marketing activities.

For more information about this press release, please contact:

Manager PR & Publications
Ethiopian Airlines
Tel: (251-1) 517-89-07 (251-1) 517-81-65
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The airline currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 737,757,767 and 777 airplanes in passenger service and a 757, MD11 and 747 in cargo operations.
Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airline to order the 787 Dreamliner when they placed their order for ten 787s in February 2005.
"All of Ethiopia is excited about the delivery of our first Dreamliners and the whole country can be proud of being the first in all of Africa to receive this game-changing airplane," the statement quoted Tewolde as saying.

Addis Ababa, March 17 (WIC) – President Girma Weldegiorgis has conveyed his condolences today to the people and government of Japan for the tragic loss of life caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country on Friday, March 11, 2011.

President Girma said at an event held at the Embassy of Japan today that “on behalf of the people and government of Ethiopia and that of my own, I would like to extend to you and, through you, to the entire people and government of Japan, my condolences on the loss of lives and destructions of property caused by massive earth quake and tsunami which scammed northern Japan and other areas on Friday March 11, 2011”

“At this time of natural tragedy, I would like to express my heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the people and government of Japan and bereaved families of the victims of this tragedy,” he added.

Meanwhile, religious leaders in Ethiopia have also expressed their condolences over the earth quake and tsunami which struck Japan last week.

His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church said that "no one was untouched by the tragic situation that occurred in Japan. “Everybody is closely following what is going on in Japan, a country of hardworking people".