Ethiopian Airlines Announces New Route to Warsaw via Athens, Strengthens Ties with Greece

Athens International Airport Director of Communication and Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou, Ethiopian Airlines Area Manager Greece Tigist Seyoum, Gold Star Aviation General Manager Michael Flerianos and Gold Star Aviation Sales Manager Vasilis Savarikas.

Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) recently announced a new route connecting Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Warsaw, Poland, via Athens, starting on July 1.

“Ethiopian Airlines has a great history with Greece. Our flights are a pivotal instrument to the socio-economic ties between the two countries,” said Tigist Seyoum – Area Manager Ethiopian Airlines, Greece, during a press event in Athens held to present the company’s future plans.

The flag carrier of Ethiopia currently offers 4 passenger flights between Athens and Addis Ababa, the gateway to Africa.

According to Seyoum, the company intends to boost frequency to 6 weekly flights after the summer.

Ethiopian Airlines Area Manager Greece Tigist Seyoum. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Seyoum then highlighted that the new Addis Ababa – Athens – Warsaw route, is sure to strengthen relations between Ethiopia and Greece.

“We are truly proud of the relationship we have established with the people of Greece, and we are committed to continue with our unwavering commitment in facilitating tourism, investment, and cultural ties between the nations,” Seyoum underlined.

A valuable partner for Athens Airport

“Ethiopian Airlines made a brave start in Athens during turbulent times,” said Athens International Airport Director of Communication and Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

As the only airline that connects Greece with sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopian Airlines is considered a strategic player for Athens International Airport (AIA).

Speaking during the press event, AIA Director of Communication and Marketing, Ioanna Papadopoulou said Ethiopian Airlines is considered a “valuable partner”, as the airport’s network to Africa is limited.

According to Papadopoulou, Ethiopian Airlines made a brave start in Athens, despite facing two disruptions, one in 2020 due to COVID-19 and one in 2022 due to the war in Ukraine, which led to the disruption of the connection to Moscow.

“However, the company persevered and continues to operate,” Papadopoulou said.

AIA’s Ioanna Papadopoulou presenting data that shows Ethiopian Airlines’ passenger traffic to Athens above 2019 levels almost throughout 2023 and during January to May 2024. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

According to data, the Addis Ababa-Athens flight served 32,662 passengers in 2023, up from 19,351 in 2022.

Overall, the African market grew by 27 percent in 2023 compared to 2019, while in the first five months of 2024 it grew by 15 percent compared to the same period of 2019.

“The Athens – Addis Ababa route is of high importance, as it connects the Greek capital not only to Ethiopia’s capital but also provides onward connections to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kinshasa, and Zanzibar,” she said.

Obstacles

Gold Star Aviation General Manager Michael Flerianos.

However, despite the fact that Ethiopian Airlines may be considered an important partner to AIA, flights from Africa and other third-countries to Greece are facing problems due to complex and time-consuming visa procedures, as well as understaffed embassies.

“Greece is losing potential visitors,” said Michael Flerianos, general manager of Gold Star Aviation, the company that represents the airline in the Greek market.

Speaking during the event, Flerianos stressed that while passenger traffic from Greece to third countries, especially Africa, is significant, the numbers are lower for travelers entering Greece from third countries.

“Many visas are not approved for travel to Greece as officials assume that travelers from Africa will overstay their visa for employment purposes,” he said.

“This issue with the visa is critical because it affects the company, which wants to plan, but also Greece, because it deprives the country from more visitors,” he said.

Passenger demographics

According to data provided by AIA, 57 percent of travelers visit Addis Ababa and sub-Saharan Africa in general for vacation. A large percentage, about 30 percent, travel for business purposes and 14 percent travel to visit friends and relatives. Forty-seven percent of those traveling are foreigners and 44 percent Greeks.

Africans travel for leisure (65 percent) and for business (20 percent). They book 54 days in advance of their flight and travel an average of 5 times during the year, with the average duration of a trip being determined at 24 days. Accordingly, 42 percent of Greeks travel to Africa for vacation and 41 percent visit the continent for business reasons. Bookings are made 37 days before the flight, with the average length of stay for a trip being 24 days.

Ethiopian Airlines flies to over 60 destinations in Africa and more than 135 destinations worldwide. It has a fleet of 147 state-of-the-art aircraft with an average age of seven years.