Ethiopian Airlines confident in winning deserving market share in Bangladesh
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, marked its entry into Bangladesh on 4 November, with the arrival of its inaugural flight on the Addis Ababa-Dhaka-Addis Ababa route. The airline currently has a fleet of 146 aircraft and has more than 100 ultramodern aircraft on order. The addition of Dhaka is a strategic advancement in the airline's Asian expansion. Solomon Bekele, its regional director of sales and marketing for the Middle East, Gulf and Asia, spoke to The Business Standard on Monday at a city hotel. He was interviewed by Kamran Siddiqui.
When we talk about Ethiopia and Africa, we often see the challenges that arise. For Ethiopian Airlines, we recognise that it is the fourth largest airline in the world and the largest in Africa. What are the major reasons behind this success that have brought you here?
Ethiopian Airlines is 100% government-owned. However, what makes us unique compared to most other African airlines is that we are fully operated by aviation professionals. There is no government intervention or meddling, which is a key aspect of our operations. This has contributed to our magnificent success, with double-digit growth every year over the last 15-20 years. Another important reason is our strong support from the civil aviation authority. We have well-established training institutions for pilots, flight technicians, cabin crew and leadership, which enables us to produce our own skilled manpower internally, ensuring operational excellence. We have instilled a strong work culture and discipline, along with all the necessary ingredients to build our institution. Additionally, Addis Ababa's geographical location at the centre of the world provides us with a significant advantage. We can bring traffic from around the globe and connect our passengers to the rest of the world within two to three hours of connecting flights. This offers the shortest and most efficient connectivity, which is highly preferred by our customers.
What do you bring for passengers in Bangladesh that is new, given that major aviation giants like Qatar Airways, Emirates and Saudia are already operating here?
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You mention competition. We already compete with these carriers in many other markets. Turkish, Qatar, Emirates and Saudia are all present where we operate, so this is not a new phenomenon for us. We know how to compete and we are confident in our product, our hub and our services. While each market has its nuances, we have a strategy in place on how to penetrate the Bangladeshi market, and our team in Dhaka is executing this plan. We recognise that market dynamics are constantly changing, and we are committed to achieving maximum market share. Our approach combines competitive pricing and service quality. We are offering the best service, best prices, good value and the shortest flight times. We are already seeing a positive response from the market, and we are working to reach the public through various media. This will not be easy or quick; it will be an ongoing process. However, we have a strong team in Dhaka and are confident that we will secure our deserving market share here.
What cooperation do you foresee in the future between aviation universities in both countries regarding knowledge sharing?
Our aviation academy has recently been upgraded to an aviation university, making it the largest aviation university in Africa, with all the necessary facilities and professionals in place. We are looking for global partnerships. Based on our discussions with the chairman of the civil aviation authority in Bangladesh, we see a willingness to collaborate. Initial ground-level discussions have taken place, and the next phase will involve assigning the right people to work out the details and formalise agreements. We aim to start these collaborations as soon as possible.
What's your plan for regular flights? Do you have any timeline?
We want to establish regular flights as soon as possible, but this will depend on market response. Currently, we operate five flights a week, and we will assess the market to determine how to develop our routes. If we see a need for improvement, we will certainly act quickly.
Do you have any special plans or offers for Middle Eastern expatriates or Umrah pilgrims?
Yes, we aim to facilitate Umrah travel. We want to offer services that capture this market, as we are already seeing a high number of travellers from different parts of the Middle East, such as Jeddah and Amman. There is also a significant Bangladeshi population in Africa, which presents another potential market for us.
