The largest network operating carrier in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines has started direct flights to Karachi, Pakistan today. The first flight of Ethiopian Airlines arrived in Karachi. The airline first served Karachi from July 1966 to December 1971. The airline resumed the service later in June 1993 but terminated the service in July 2004. The airline will be operating 4 flights a week. The flights will be every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The flights will arrive early in the morning at 05:05 and depart at 08:55 in the morning. The airline has a widebody fleet of 19 Airbus A350s, 19 Boeing 777s, and 27 Boeing 787s that could be deployed on these flights. Karachi will be Ethiopian’s 37th destination of Ethiopian Airlines in Asia. Currently, Ethiopian is serving more than 145 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations.
The upcoming flight will be operated four times a week per the below schedule:
| Flight number | Frequency | Departure Airport | Departure Time | Arrival Airport | Arrival Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ET 0694 | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun | ADD | 21:45 | KHI | 05:05 |
| ET 0695 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat | KHI | 05:55 | ADD | 08:55 |
The Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “We are excited to return to Karachi nearly two decades after we last served the city. As the most populous city in Pakistan, Karachi will be a crucial gateway to Pakistan and the wider South Asia region. As the only flight connecting Pakistan with Africa, the planned service to Karachi will have a significant contribution to strengthening the diplomatic and economic relations between the two regions. It will also offer convenient air connectivity to the growing number of Pakistani investors in Africa as well as tourists.”
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is one of the oldest and fastest-growing airlines in Africa. In addition to its main hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it is also pursuing its multi-hub strategy through a hub in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines, and in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways. Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 145 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian’s fleet consists of ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900, and Bombardier Dash 8-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate most of these aircraft. Having achieved its strategic plan (Vision 2025) ahead of time, Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2035 that will see it become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world by providing safe, secure, market-driven and customer-focused Passenger and Cargo Transport and Logistics Services, Aviation Training, Airport Management, and Ground Services, MRO and Aerospace Manufacturing and Travel and Tourism Services. As a multi-award-winning airline, Ethiopian has been winning various coveted awards including Skytrax’s ‘Best Airline in Africa Award’ for five consecutive years. The airline has been a Star Alliance member since 2011 and has been registering more than threefold growth in the past 10 years.