Ethiopian Airlines on Thursday marked 75 years since it began commercial flights, with CEO Tewolde GebreMariam warning of ‘a serious challenge posed by COVID-19’.
On April 8 1946, the company operated its first-ever commercial flight. It flew from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital to Cairo, Egypt.
The carrier’s initial fleet consisted of five C-47s acquired from the US government. It has since grown to 127 aircraft.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect international travel, Tewolde said tough times still lay ahead for aviation.
“The route we chose to overcome this challenge is to tighten our belt, change the way we do business and be agile,” he said in a statement.