Africa’s largest airline Ethiopian Airlines has signed an agreement with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to provide a framework for the provision of the airline’s products and services to IGAD.
Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines will also provide hospitability services to IGAD at Ethiopian Skylight Hotel and assign a dedicated team to handle the travel and hospitality needs of IGAD.
Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Commercial Officer Lemma Yadecha said they are pleased to have signed the agreement with IGAD and to play their part in the region’s socio-economic development.
“Ethiopian Airlines operates more than 20 flights daily to IGAD member states, playing a significant role in the socio-economic ties in the region and facilitating a way to achieve the economic cooperation and regional integration that IGAD strives to achieve,” he said.
“Furthermore, being the largest passenger and cargo destination operating carrier in Africa, our vast network offers convenient access to more than 130 destinations worldwide and we are more than happy to offer that.”
The award-winning Addis Ababa-based carrier had signed a strategic partnership agreement with International Djibouti Industrial Park Operation (IDIPO) and Air Djibouti to jointly commence sea-air multimodal transportation for expeditious transportation of goods to Africa back in March 2022, taking its cargo transportation sector to a multimodal level.
The existence of this agreement alongside the extensive, strong cargo operation of Ethiopian, we believe this agreement further eases IGAD’s objectives to mobilize resources within the framework of regional cooperation
Meanwhile, BusinessTech Africa previously reported that The East African airline, Ethiopian Airlines had reached a milestone as it has accrued 750,000 tonnes of cargo in 2022 with flowers accounting for 110,000 tonnes.
High-tech cargo accounted for 54,500 tonnes, pharmaceuticals 30,000 tonnes, and vaccines 1,500 tonnes, says the airline. Ethiopian carried 22,500 tonnes of salmon and 6,000 live animals.
The leading African airline operator flew 950 charter flights and was granted the IATA CEIV pharma certifications for airline and ground handling.
