Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline and Air Côte d’Ivoire, the national flag carrier of Côte d’Ivoire, have entered into a codeshare agreement effective May, 2018. Under the new codeshare partnership, passengers originating from West African countries, especially from Lagos, Bamako, Cotonou, Accra and Lomé will board Air Côte d’Ivoire flights and enjoy fast and seamless connection to Newark on-board Ethiopian direct service to Newark via Abidjan.
Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, said: “We are very happy to partner with Air Côte d’Ivoire with a view to connect passengers from West Africa to our new flights to Newark via Abidjan. I wish to thank the Côte d’Ivoire Government and the Minister of Transport in particular as well as Air Côte d’Ivoire for making this partnership possible. Ethiopian new Abidjan flights to Newark will be operated in complementarity to our existing Newark service via Lomé, which is being availed together with our strategic partner, ASKY Airlines. Such partnerships among sisterly African airlines are crucial for African countries to fill the connectivity vacuum in the continent and for African carriers to regain their market share in their home market.”
René Decurey, CEO of Air Côte d’Ivoire said: “Few months ago, Abidjan airport was certified to carry out direct links with the USA. It is now time to launch theses direct flights and Air Côte d’Ivoire is very happy to carry out the operation in codeshare with Ethiopian Airlines. This agreement will allow Air Côte d’Ivoire to sell the flights as well. We will therefore be able to offer passengers on our network, flights to the USA via Abidjan with a single Air Côte d’Ivoire ticket. We are convinced that this partnership is the beginning of a long collaboration that will fully benefit our two Airlines and African passengers who used to pass through Europe to travel to the USA.” Ethiopian currently flies to 58 cities in Africa and more than 112 destinations globally.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Airlines is also proud to announce that it has been recognized by TripAdvisor, one of the largest and most reputed global travel sites, as “The Best Business Class in Africa and Indian Ocean”. TripAdvisor has evaluated the world’s top carriers based on reviews and ratings gathered from travelers worldwide over a 12-month period and recognized Ethiopian for its outstanding service, as well as the quality and value in its service delivery. Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, said: “We are highly honored to receive this award from TripAdvisor, the most prestigious global travel site. I wish to thank the TripAdvisor community for their resounding vote of confidence in our premium class product and service. We offer the best value proposition to premium travelers, whether corporate or government, thanks to our operational excellence, convenient and seamless connectivity, superior on-board product and top-notch end-to–end customer service. We will continue to invest in the latest the technology aircraft such as the B787 and A350 that offer unmatched on-board comfort and to enhance our premium on-ground and on-board offerings with a superior level of service so as to meet the high expectations of premium travellers and remain their airline of choice.”
“We’re thrilled to recognize the global TripAdvisor community’s favorite airlines and shine a spotlight on the carriers around the world that provide the very best flying experiences, including Ethiopian Airlines,” said Bryan Saltzburg, senior vice president and general manager for TripAdvisor Flights, “As the airline industry introduces new fare products and a widening array of in-flight offerings, consumers continue to seek out the carriers that deliver value and a quality experience. The Travelers’ Choice awards for airlines recognize the carriers that exceed passenger expectations and receive top marks from travelers.”
Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline. On November 8, 2017, SKYTRAX, the most prestigious international air transport standards and quality rating organization, has certified Ethiopian as Four Star Airline. SKYTRAX has also awarded Ethiopian as SKYTRAX World Airline Award for Best Airline Staff in Africa, two times, and earlier in 2017 Ethiopian has received SKYTRAX World Airline Award for Best Airline in Africa.
