Ethiopian Airlines Wins Decade of Airline Excellence Award

Ethiopian Airlines has been recognized in the 'Decade of Airline Excellence Awards' as Africa’s best-performing airline of the past 10 years. The carrier took the accolade in the African regional category of the Awards. Operating in an incredibly challenging region for airlines, state-owned Ethiopian evolved over the decade from a national carrier to the first true pan-African airline, based on a strategy that leveraged its hub in Addis Ababa and strategic equity investments in smaller national African operators.

Under the leadership of Tewolde Gebremariam since 2011 – the year in which the carrier also joined the Star Alliance - Ethiopian’s core strategy has been underpinned by disciplined management and a productive relationship with its government owners.

By the end of the decade, Ethiopian Airlines commanded the lion's share of the pan-African network, having overtaken Dubai as the biggest transfer hub for long-haul travel to Africa in 2018.

The airline’s maturity shone through in its response, cementing its status as a rare example of an African carrier that sits comfortably alongside the world’s top airlines. The Decade of Airline Excellence Awards was launched by FlightGlobal this year, in lieu of the Airline Strategy Awards, which will return in 2021. Winners are selected by an independent panel of industry experts.