Ethiopian Airlines Launches Service to London Gatwick

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest network operating carrier in Africa, is expanding its offering in the UK market with the launch of a direct service to/from London Gatwick Airport.

The new service will start from 21 November, 2023 and will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays using an Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

Regarding the commencement of the flight Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “We have a 50-year relation with UK. We give high regards to our Heathrow services and now we are excited to add Gatwick to our vast global network.

We are ready to stretch our reach to Gatwick and provide our renowned, award-winning services. History has it that we last served Gatwick in 2005 and 2006 using the Boeing 757. Now the route will be served by the most modern Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

Over the years, we have established commendable partnerships with over 100 UK based companies in the aviation sector. Our expansion in the UK, among others, will enable us to nurture this cooperation and partnership to a higher level.”   

The new service by Ethiopian will offer a direct flight between London-Gatwick and Addis Ababa onboard Airbus A350 with Business Class and Economy cabins, providing seamless connectivity to Ethiopian Airlines’ vast global networks stretched across Africa, Far East, the Americas and Asia. 

Mr. Henock Woubishet, Area Manager UK & Ireland commenting on the new service said, “The UK is a strong and important market for Ethiopian. Adding London-Gatwick to our UK schedule is truly great news as it will enable us to provide much-needed capacity not only for our passengers but also for our cargo services carried in the belly hold. Ethiopian will now serve London Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester Airports.”

Stephanie Wear, VP Aviation Development, London Gatwick said, “We are delighted to welcome Ethiopian Airlines back to London Gatwick this winter. As the largest carrier in Africa, this is an excellent addition to our network and adds a valuable, direct connection to Eastern Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines is the latest in a number of carriers looking to operate long-haul routes from Gatwick, which further highlights the strong demand for slots at our airport. It’s also fantastic news for passengers across London and the South East to have more choice and direct services to Addis Ababa, as well as greater opportunities for onward connections across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.”

The new service will complement Ethiopian Airlines daily non-stop service to London Heathrow and 5 weekly service to Manchester. From the UK, passengers can connect to more than 60 destinations in Africa as well as Far East and Asia.