Ethiopia launches direct flights from regions to Sudan’s capital

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

October 13, 2011 (Addis Ababa) – African carrier, Ethiopian Airlines on Thursday began direct flights from the country’s two northern regions to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Ethiopian Airlines announced that the new service to Khartoum from Bahir-Dar the capital of the Amhara region and Tigray’s Mekele to Khartoum began on October 13.

“The new direct flights will enhance tourism and business travel between Northern Ethiopia and Sudan” said a press statement. It added: “It will also strengthen the existing cooperation between the two governments”.

This will be the first time for the flag carrier to operate international routes from regional airports outside its hub, Addis Ababa Bole Airport, although it regularly flies to neighboring Djibouti from Dire Dawa town.

The airliner said the new flight services will be run four days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and Sundays using Bombardier Q-400 Aircraft.

“Ethiopian has long been flying from Addis Ababa to Khartoum and the new flight will enhance the ever increasing socio-economic and political ties of the two nations” said Ethiopian CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam.

It is hoped that the new direct flight services will attract Sudanese tourists to the horn of country, which has nine world heritage sites, including the Rock hewn churches of Lalibela dating back to 13th-century, the ancient monolithic obelisks of Axsum.

Ethiopian Airlines has one of the continents largest network of routes within Africa and serves more than 50 destinations worldwide.

(ST)