400,000 PEOPLE in the north of England are said to benefit from a new flight between Manchester and Ethiopia.
The new service from Ethiopian Airlines will fly four times per week between Manchester Airport and the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, on a state-of-the-art B787 Dreamliner.
According to the Chief Operating Officer of Manchester Airport, Tricia Williams, around 400,000 people in the catchment area of the airport previously had to travel to London in order to fly out to Ethiopia.
In that sense, the flight really is a landmark route for the airport and one said to unlock more than 60 new connections across Africa for people in the north of England.
On board, the flight boasts interactive screens on the back of every seat with enough to keep all passengers entertained, including an array of films, television shows and albums.
The seats are comfortable and cushioned, and a blanket is also provided to every passenger as standard in case they feel the need to sleep.
The food is also all prepared on board, unusual for an airline. On a special demonstration flight for members of the press and people from the aviation industry, passengers were served with a number of meal options.
Arriving first was a tray with salad, prawns, crackers, cheese and a bread roll. There was also a chocolate dessert on the tray for after the main meal.
Then chicken or the vegetarian option of pasta was served as the main.
As a special treat, passengers were also invited to try the traditional Ethiopian cuisine consisting of a gluten-free bread known as injera, with a delicious spicy curry-like chicken and beef known as wat.
During actual flights, the injera and wat will only be served in ‘Cloud Nine’ – Ethiopian Airlines’ business class.
The service will fly out of Manchester Airport on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing from Terminal Two at 6.05pm and arriving at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport at 6.45am local time.
Once in Ethiopia, passengers will have the option of catching connecting flights to more than 60 places in Africa, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania.
Andrew Cowan, Chief Executive of Manchester Airport said: “It will provide a vital route into Africa for businesses across the North, as well as helping attract visitors and potential investors to the region.
“This route highlights the important role Manchester Airport continues to play in connecting the North with key global markets.
“I want to take this opportunity to welcome Ethiopian Airlines to Manchester and look forward to working with them to ensure the success of this flagship service.”
Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, added: “We are elated to start our service to Manchester, our second destination in the UK next to London Heathrow which we have been serving since 1973. As the leading African carrier with the widest network in the continent, passengers from Manchester will enjoy convenient and seamless connectivity options to 60 African destinations operated with cutting-edge fleet like the B-787 and A350 which offer our passengers unparalleled comfort on-board our flights, along with our Ethiopian hospitality.
“With vast investment and trade potentials between Africa and the UK, the upcoming flight holds the promise of boosting trade, investment and tourism with ample business opportunities for investors and business people from both regions.”
With the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union, the UK’s Trade Envoy to Ethiopia, Jeremy Lefroy MP believes that this flight could also open up a whole host of opportunities for northern businesses.
“Ethiopia is a key partner as we look to expand our trading relationship with the wider African continent,” he said.
“This new flight route from Ethiopian Airlines will allow UK companies to build strong ties with their Ethiopian counterparts, increasing the accessibility and affordability of doing business for businesses in both countries.”
/Bolton news/
