After Mumbai and New Delhi, Ethiopian Airlines has added Bengaluru to its network. Starting from October 27, the flag carrier of Ethiopia will start direct flights between Addis Ababa and Bengaluru. The service will be operated four times a week.
Commenting on this upcoming launch, Tewolde GebreMariam, Group chief executive officer, Ethiopian Airlines said, “Ethiopian Airlines is a significant player in connecting India and Africa and beyond.
“The new four weekly flights will connect the important ICT hub city of Bengaluru to the ever-expanding Ethiopian network in addition to our twice daily flights each to the commercial city of Mumbai and the Capital New Delhi. The flights will also complement our existing dedicated freighter flights to/from Bengaluru.”
Flight Schedule:
| Flight No. | Departure | Arrival | Time of Departure | Time of Arrival | Frequency |
| ET 0690 | Addis Ababa | Bengaluru | 2300 | 0800 | Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday |
| ET 0691 | Bengaluru | Addis Ababa | 0230 | 0635 | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday |
In addition to its passenger flights to Mumbai and Delhi and soon Bengaluru, the airline currently offers cargo services to Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi.
On subject of India as a market for the airline, Tadesse Tilahun, regional director India subcontinent, Ethiopian Airlines said, “India is one of the biggest strategy markets for Ethiopia. We generate good revenue out of India, next to China. Due to the strong ties between Ethiopia and India, we have witnessed an increase in tourist arrivals between the two regions for business, leisure and medical purposes. So, India is a promising market for us and therefore we plan to further expand our services in the country.”The airline is expected to start flights to Chennai soon.
Furthermore, when asked about how the airline is catering to the needs of Indian passengers, Tilahun added, “We have served in the market for long time and we know the needs and expectations of Indian customers. We are well aware that Indians are very particular about their food and so we have invested in taking Indian chefs to Addis Ababa to train our chefs and supervise the inflight meal preparation which consists of a wide variety of Indian cuisine that is revamped frequently.”
