Following a meeting on February 7 between the Ethiopian and Maltese governments, Ethiopian Airlines is considering adding a route to Malta to serve as a stopover hub for flights to the United States.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, went on a European round trip where he met with Italian, Maltese, and French leaders. During his trip to Malta, he sat down with Prime Minister Robert Abela in a meeting in which they discussed bilateral relations, including enhancement in trade cooperation, investment, tourism, maritime, and security.

Following the meeting, it was announced that negotiations for the African airline to acquire landing rights in Malta had moved a step closer. Ethiopian Airlines plans to use Malta International Airport as a stopover hub between Africa and the United States. The airline already has an intricate network in the US; therefore, adding Malta would attract global investment to the European country and foreign direct investment in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline in Africa and fourth in the world in terms of destinations, operates flights between Africa and the USA to Chicago (ORD), New York (JFK), Washington (IAD), and Newark (EWR), with stopovers in Lomé, Togo and Dublin, Ireland. The airline plans to add a fifth service to Atlanta starting in May, so a stopover in Malta would be essential for achieving this goal.

Malta International Airport

Located southwest of the capital, Malta International Airport is the only international airport in the country. It is a hub for the flag carrier Air Malta, Mel Air, and Ryanair. It also serves stopovers for many airlines connecting European nations to North America and Africa.

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The Maltese people describe their airport as small and easy to navigate, but just like any airport, getting around can be confusing even for the most intelligent travelers. To avoid passengers missing out on their exciting air travel plans, the airport offers resources to help people make their way to their planes, including a terminal visual guide and even a practice run with airport officials before their trip.

The number of annual visitors continues to grow; hence there are plans to expand the airport. Traffic in December amounted to nearly half a million, which is about 88% of monthly traffic before the pandemic. Last year traffic to Malta International peaked in August, but December had the highest recovery rate as many passengers traveled for the holidays. Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Poland were the most popular destinations via Malta.

The next five years are set to be transformational for the airport as officials plan to invest approximately $188 million in its development. The airport currently has one passenger-handling terminal, and the project will start with its expansion to take passenger numbers beyond the record levels of 2019. More projects, including doubling the current footprint of the customs area, and unveiling a covered walkway linking Park East to the terminal, are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Intercontinental route expansion

Continuing its international route expansion, Ethiopian Airlines plans to add more routes to Singapore and Jeddah. According to the CEO, the flag carrier has plans to double its fleet over the next 12 years and expand its global network.

Ethiopian Airlines fleet size is expected to grow from 141 to nearly 270 aircraft by 2035, operating more than 200 routes worldwide and carrying 65 million passengers annually. The airline will launch a non-stop service to Singapore in March to compete with current Middle Eastern carriers. The airline is also increasing flights between Addis Ababa and Jeddah to twice daily starting this month.

Source: aviation24.be