Addis Ababa, July, 3, 2025 (ENA)--Ethiopian Airlines' new Porto route is poised to strengthen continental links that go beyond Ethiopia-Portugal relations, fostering broader cooperation across various domains.
In a colorful event attended by ambassadors, ministers, and Ethiopian Airlines Executives at Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, Ethiopian marked the commencement of its new five times weekly passenger service to Porto, Portugal on Wednesday.
This new service will include a single stop via Madrid, Spain.
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The introduction of this flight aims to offer travel options and enhances seamless connectivity for passengers in the area, furthering Ethiopian Airlines' regional expansion across Europe.
A stakeholder panel discussion was held today in Porto to mark the launch of Ethiopian Airlines' inaugural passenger flight to the city.
The panel discussion primarily focused on leveraging the airline's operations by deepening economic partnerships.
Among the panel participants was Rui Alves, Director of Porto Airport, who noted that the new Ethiopian Airlines flight would serve as a vital link between the two countries across multiple sectors.
He stated that today's panel discussion reflected a shared interest in integrating the new passenger flight with cargo services, noting that key organizations and stakeholders from the cargo sector were actively involved in the dialogue.
"This route will bring the connection with the biggest hub in Africa. We will discuss the possibilities and the opportunities to grow on the cargo side. In that meeting, we had several business partners related to the cargo.
And what we want to show them is the opportunity to have an aircraft like this one, a bigger craft, a white body, very young, very new aircraft.. So this is a big opportunity for the region to have direct flights, even for cargo," the director noted.
On her part, Karen Strougo, Chief Commercial Officer at Porto Airlines, welcomed the commencement of Ethiopian Airlines' service to Porto, highlighting its potential to enhance Europe-Africa connectivity across multiple sectors.
"We're very happy to be celebrating today the first flight for Ethiopian Airlines here in Porto city, which is our big hub for Portugal and to access Europe, the north of Spain, and to access the continent. We're especially happy because this is a very potent and growing city, with strong industry and strong business capability....... Thus, we are all very optimistic about Ethiopian Airlines," she revealed.
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Ethiopian Airlines is one of the fastest-growing carriers in the global aviation industry, Aviation technology expert John George remarked.
The expert expressed confidence Ethiopian Airlines will be instrumental in facilitating the effective movement of passengers, particularly Africans, Portuguese, and migrants.
"Porto is a very important destination because it's the second growing point of Portugal. I think this is a very important landmark for Ethiopian airlines growth, because Ethiopian airlines will have the opportunity to not only connect the two points, Addis Ababa and Porto.
But also, to connect through the rest of the world, as many Portuguese, and many immigrants living in Portugal that want to fly to the Far East, and points of Africa that Ethiopian covers."
Ethiopian Airlines is Africa's leading carrier and one of the fastest-growing global airline brands, it was learned.
The Airlines currently operates over 190 weekly flights to 27 destinations across Asia, including 83 weekly flights to 11 cities in China. With a modern fleet and advanced temperature-controlled, tech-enabled cargo infrastructure, Ethiopian transports nearly 1 million tons of cargo annually across a global network of over 140 destinations.
