Indian market is one of the vast markets where we have a lot of potential and Ethiopian Airlines has realized that India is one of the strategic markets, Bilen Arefaine, Regional Director – India Subcontinent, said in Mumbai.
Ethiopian is serving the India market for more than 55 years and it has been one of the profitable markets. So, the airline is keen to develop this market by adding more cities to the network.
“We are flying four cities in India planning to add more. Right now, we are planning for Hyderabad and then we will look to start 2-3 new destinations to go back to the pre-pandemic times. We will try to develop these ones first. And once we are sure on these, we will add more, Arefaine added.
Talking more on the India market, she said that the passenger number has already grown to Africa as Africa has become one of the major markets for India. “We see the numbers growing day by day and also, we want to develop the tourism industry. There is a lot to be seen in Africa, especially in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has the most unknown but best places for people who are interested to see nature, history. So, we want to make it accessible for India market. It’s not just Ethiopia. We want people to see the leisure and historic places of Africa and making them accessible for India market as we have good flights and good connection there,” the newly appointed Regional Director told T3. Ethiopia is promoting and advertising its historic places and nature. We are trying to do a lot and lot to promote these to the Indian market, she said.
Addis Ababa airport is one of the best hubs, especially for the corporate customers. The airport offers the best lounge and the connectivity. It has the shortest connectivity for the rest of Africa, including worldwide, as it is in the cente.
Replying to a question on expansions in terms of frequency and adding new destinations, she informed that Ethiopian used to have double daily from Mumbai and Delhi pre-covid. ” We are aiming to get 12-13 flights. First, we want to be where we were before covid. Once we are there, we will add more cities, she said. She informed that the load factor at present is 75-80 per cent.
On India as a feeder market, she said that Ethiopia Airlines, because of scheduled flights and connectivity, has already been promoting to let know its frequencies and destinations to the market. “We are flying to a lot of destinations, especially in Africa we are strong. We are planning to connect Europe and America and especially to South America. That is growing and we are seeing promising number and we are trying to do more,” Arefaine said.
Also, in order to be successful, the airline needs the support of partners. “We are really trying to present our products to travel partners so that they can market it and sell our products. We are also trying to give them reasonable price, and we are adjusting according to the market. We are trying to collect all the feedbacks from the industry and passengers which will help us to improve our services,” she concluded.
Kuhelika Roy Choudhury
