Ethiopian Airline prepares for new management, offers a helping hand to SAA

Africa’s leading carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, is preparing for a change in leadership after its Chief Executive Officer Tewolde GebreMariam stepped down this week, citing ill-health.

One of the biggest figures in African aviation, he expanded Ethiopian Airlines to become an international heavyweight, tripling its size and fleet.

Looking ahead, the Ethiopian carrier has signaled it is ready to help South African Airlines if asked.

Ethiopian Airlines says it still believes in the growth of South Africa’s national carrier.

“We believe South Africa Airways, burying other political interference and all other things would be in a position to really compete on an international market. I for one believe it’s one of the very good airlines in Africa,” says Ethiopian Airlines Board Chairperson, Girma Wake.

That vote of confidence is a trademark of outgoing Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam. He argued that the African aviation industry enjoys only 20% of the global share and more African airlines are needed in the sky.

“If there is a problem it is not just an issue of management, it is an issue of a lot of things and Ethiopian Airlines is not in a  position to change those issues. These issues are entirely South African but if South African Airways believes there is an area Ethiopian Airlines can help, then we will encourage the management to really cooperate with South African Airways and help,” says Wake.

Ethiopian Airline says it believes SAA can grow: 

New management 

Ethiopian Airlines is now gearing up for new management. The board has appointed Mesfin Tasew as the new CEO,  the current managing director of Asky, an airline based in Togo.

He comes on board at a challenging time, the impact of the Ukraine/Russia conflict is being felt by airlines across the globe.

“Because of the war in Europe a lot of things have changed, fuel price has shot up, not only price going up the availability of fuel in many areas is becoming a problem, that is a new problem, price plus lack of fuel at many of our stations at times even in Addis Ababa,  so that is going to be really a challenge,” explains Wake.

Growth of the airline

Under the outgoing CEO Tewolde Gebreremariam, Ethiopian Airlines grew from 33 airplanes to 130 and from 3 million passengers to 12 million before the pandemic.

He kept the airline afloat by shifting its focus to cargo transportation, even as other airlines suspended operations.

The national carrier, however,  had several challenges under its outgoing CEO. Among them was an Ethiopian airlines plane crash in 2019 that killed all 157 passengers on board.

Last year, the airline was accused of playing a part in the war in the country’s North and accused of transporting war armament and soldiers to the region and weapons to Eritrea.

Allegations it denied. The new management now has to work to fly the company through internal and external aviation challenges.