LONDON – Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have inaugurated their new flight to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, via Victoria Falls. The new destination marks itself as the carrier’s third destination in Zimbabwe.
The newest service
On 30 October, the leading airline in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines (ET), inaugurated a new service to Bulawayo Int’l Airport (BUQ) via Victoria Falls Airport (VFA). Bulawayo acts as the second largest city in Zimbabwe, next to its capital city of, Harare.
The newly inaugurated service sets Bulawayo as the third Zimbabwe destination that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) operates to, after Harare and Victoria Falls itself.
Bulawayo will see Ethiopian’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays; however, the inaugural flight was flown with a Boeing 737 MAX 8.
The addition of Bulawayo further expands Ethiopian Airlines’ global network, which now totals 131 destinations all around the world, and is definitely not unlikely to show off even more destinations as time passes.
Statements
On the route inauguration, Ethiopian Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew, said:-
“We are continually growing our network in Africa to provide affordable and convenient air connectivity and facilitate trade within Africa and beyond.”
“The commencement of flights to Bulawayo is crucial in connecting Southern Africa to the world with our 130 destinations on five continents.”
“We are glad to serve Bulawayo, the industrial hub of Zimbabwe and Southern Africa, accelerating trade with our cargo and passenger services.”
“Our flights to multiple cities in a country indicate our solid commitment to serve our customers and support our continent as the best pan-African carrier.”
Important roles
Bulawayo serves an important role as the country’s second-largest city and second-largest airport, and its geographical location, together with infrastructure, business, and more, has made Bulawayo a center for tourism.
Its international trade fairs also attract business travelers as well as tourists on a yearly basis, however, the airport remains heavily underutilized, with a few carriers operating in and out of Bulawayo’s airport.
This makes Ethiopian Airlines’ new route a great gateway to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
New route to Europe
Just last week, Ethiopian Airlines announced a new service connecting Zurich, Switzerland, with service to Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, creating Ethiopian’s second gateway to Switzerland, as the carrier already operates to Geneva from before.
With the first flight running on 31. October, Ethiopian Airlines secures greater frequencies in the Swiss aviation and tourist market, as well as further expanding the carrier’s European offerings in terms of destinations.
On that announcement, Ethiopian’s CEO, Mesfin Tasew, said:-
“We are glad to open a new route connecting the financial capital of Switzerland, Zürich, with over 130 destinations of Ethiopian Airlines via Africa’s political capital, Addis Ababa.”
“The new flight will expand our presence in Switzerland and Europe at large and provide enhanced air connectivity between Switzerland and Ethiopia.”
“The new service will also facilitate diplomatic and socioeconomic relations not only between Ethiopia and Switzerland but also between Africa and Europe.”
“As a pan-African carrier, we are committed to further expanding our global network and connecting Africa with the rest of the world better than ever before.”
