Air connectivity is essential to travel around the vast African continent, but airlines have struggled to develop a sustainable formula. This has not been due to the lack of trying, rather a myriad of factors that are out of their control from restrictive legislation and visa restrictions to high taxation and government intervention.

Even during some of aviation’s strongest years for global profitability in the 2010s Africa’s airlines failed to deliver positive financial performance. Among the major carriers Ethiopian Airlines was one of the few, with the former ‘greats’ of African aviation – Kenya Airways and South African Airways among them – falling into the shadow of East Africa’s new guiding light.

Now, in a COVID impacted world things are infinitely tougher. However, it does open the door for the industry to adapt.

In this session we hear directly from Ethiopian Airlines, Group CEO, Tewolde GebreMariam who will share his thoughts on the future of the industry in Africa and the carrier.

Speakers:

• Ethiopian Airlines, Group CEO, Tewolde GebreMariam
• CAPA – Centre for Aviation, Chairman Emeritus, Peter Harbison