The window to sub-Saharan Africa was “opened” for Athens International Airport by Ethiopian Airlines, the national carrier of Ethiopia, a country with a population of around 129 million inhabitants. It is no coincidence that he was called a “valuable partner” of “Eleftherios Venizelos” by Ms. Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications & Marketing at AIA because the airport network in Africa is not large and “Ehtiopian connects us to sub-Saharan Africa”.
It should be noted that according to the data published by Ms. Papadopoulou at the presentation event of Ethiopian Airlines yesterday, only 14% of travelers from AIA to Addis Ababa have the Ethiopian capital as their destination. A further 12% have a final destination in Johannesburg, 11% Cape Town, 6% Kinshasa, 6% Zanzibar and 51% in other destinations on the African continent.
Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines made a brave start in troubled times, because it started on December 19, 2019 before the pandemic started, said Ms. Ioanna Papadopoulou. Despite these unfavorable conditions, its presence is constantly increasing and from 842 passengers in 2019 it reached 32,662 passengers in 2023, giving a vote of confidence to the Athens market.
As pointed out by Ms. Papadopoulou, the African market as a whole, recorded a 27% increase in 2023 compared to 2019, while also in the first five months of 2024 it recorded a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2019.
Visa problems
The picture would be even better if Ethiopians did not face serious problems in obtaining visas for Greece. According to Mr. Michalis Flerianos, General Manager Greece, of Gold Star Aviation representing Ethiopian in Athens, the services of our country in Addis Ababa rejected many visa applications because they believe that travelers want to stay in our country for work. He also talked about the lack of services, while he noted that there is a basis for the development of tourism between Ethiopia and Greece.
However, Ethiopia may be a developing country, but in recent years it has made many steps forward and this can be seen by anyone who visits the country’s capital, said Mr. Vassilis Savarikas, sales manager at Gold Star Aviation.
Six flights a week
As mentioned by Tigist Seyoum – Area Manager Ethiopian Airlines in Greece, in the same event, Ethiopian Airlines flights are an important tool for socio-economic relations between Ethiopia and Greece. Ethiopian Airlines currently offers four passenger flights between Athens and Addis Ababa, en route to Africa. From July 1, a new route from Addis Ababa to Warsaw via Athens began, while in the winter it plans to increase flights to six a week.
With more than 135 global destinations and 68 global cargo destinations on five continents, Ethiopian offers a wide range of travel options for both business and leisure travelers. Especially in Africa, the company serves more than 60 destinations, strengthening the connection of the Black Continent to Europe through Athens. Ethiopian Airlines has 147 aircraft with an average age of seven years. In addition to its passenger services, Ethiopian Airlines provides cargo services with special attention to pharmaceutical products, perishable products, live animals, valuables, hazardous and hazardous goods.
According to AIA’s demographic objectives, Greek men and women who travel to sub-Saharan Africa are 43 years old, 42% travel for holidays and 41% for business, while Africans traveling to Greece are on average 41 years old and do about six. travel a year and travel 65% for vacation and 20% for business. Greek travelers and foreigners make trips that last an average of 24 days.