Ethiopian Hosts a Bold Celebration of March 8 Honoring Women’s Contributions in the Aviation Industry

Addis Ababa, March 8, 2024

Ethiopian Airlines Group, one of the fastest growing airline brands globally, and the leading aviation group in Africa, has colorfully celebrated the International Women's Day, March 8 with an all women-functioned flight to London-Heathrow. The airline commemorated the day at Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, honoring women’s contribution in the aviation industry. The vibrant celebration took place in the presence of high-ranking government officials, ambassadors, honorable guests alongside the incredible women of Ethiopian Airlines, with the theme "Empowering Women: Connecting Africa.”  

Celebrating women's excellence at Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines stated, “I would like to proudly acknowledge the invaluable role of women in driving the success of Ethiopian Airlines. As staunch advocates of gender equality, we're honored to have women professionals excelling in every facet of our operations, showcasing remarkable performance and dedication in their line of work. Today, we shine a spotlight on these trailblazers who are not only shaping the legacy of Ethiopian Airlines but also inspiring future generations of women in aviation. As is our custom, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our all-women-operated flight to London to grace the day.”

The celebration further proceeded with an all-women-functioned flight from Addis Ababa to London commanded by Captain Kalkidan Girma, the first Ethiopian female captain of the Airbus A350.

Zenebework G/Tsadik, Group VP Human Capital Management in her part remarked, “Ethiopian Airlines is an equal opportunity employer. We consistently prioritize inclusive work environment that empowers women to make significant contributions in various roles within the company and we strongly believe in promoting equal gender opportunity at every level.”

The captain of this year’s all women functioned flight, Captain Mrs. Kalkidan Girma stated, "This all-women-functioned flight initiative not only empowers women but also sends a powerful message about gender equality. We want to inspire future generations of female aviators and we continue to lead the way in promoting gender equality within the aviation industry.”

"As women take part in every aspect of our aviation field, we are immensely honored to contribute to this milestone. With this dedicated flight, we celebrate the indispensable role women play in our aviation group and the broader industry to ensure that Ethiopian Airlines remains competitive in a dynamic global market," stated Mrs. Rahel Assefa, Group VP Marketing.

Ethiopian Airlines Group boasts women professionals in various areas of its operations including male dominated line of works such as pilot, aircraft technician and more. The airline has also been operating all women functioned flights to different parts of the world since 2015, showing the professionalism and capability in women.

About Ethiopian

Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is the fastest-growing airlines brand globally and the continent’s largest airline brand. In its seventy-seven years of successful operations, Ethiopian, the fastest growing airline, has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. In addition to its main hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it is also pursuing its multi-hub strategy through a hub in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines and in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways. Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 150 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian’s fleet category consists of ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900 and Bombardier Dash 8-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate most of these aircraft. Having achieved its strategic plan (Vision 2025) ahead of time, Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2035 that will see it become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world by providing safe, secured, market driven and customer focused Passenger and Cargo Transport and Logistics, Aviation Training, Airport Management and Ground Services, MRO and Aerospace Manufacturing and Travel and Tourism Services. As a multi-award-winning airline, Ethiopian has been the champion in various coveted awards including Skytrax’s ‘Best Airline in Africa Award’ for six consecutive years among others. The airline has been a Star Alliance member since 2011 and has been registering more than threefold growth in the past 10 years.  For more at: www.ethiopianairlines.com     

Email: CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com  Contact: (251-11)517-8913/8165/8907