Ethiopian Airlines Prepares To Launch Private Jet Service

Ethiopian Airlines is preparing to launch private jet services for passengers traveling between the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and other African cities. The scheduled operator, which is part of the Star Alliance, is currently working on a feasibility study for a new division called ET Executive. It has yet to specify which aircraft types it would use for the flights, but CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told AIN that he expects to have a requirement for jets seating between 10 and 20 passengers.

Also still to be determined are the terms under which the flights would be offered and whether they would operate on a scheduled or ad hoc charter basis. “We hope to finalize the business plan in the near future,” Gebremariam said.

Addis Ababa is the headquarters for the African Union, which is a significant generator of airline traffic. Ethiopian Airlines currently has a fleet of 76 aircraft, most of them Boeings. It has 42 more aircraft on order, among them 14 Airbus A350-900s.