Founded on December 21, 1945, Ethiopian Airlines has a rich history that reflects the vision and determination of its founders.Vision of Emperor Haile Selassie I: The airline was established under the guidance ofHis Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of Kings, Elect of God. His vision was to modernize Ethiopia and create a national airline that would connect the country to the rest of the world.
Collaboration with TWA: Ethiopian Airlines was founded in collaboration with Trans World Airlines (TWA), an American airline that played a crucial role in its early development. TWA provided technical expertise and management support, helping to lay the foundation for the airline’s future success.
First Aircraft: The airline’s inaugural flight took place on April 8, 1946, using a Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft. This aircraft, a military transport plane adapted for civilian use, marked the beginning of Ethiopian Airlines’ journey in the aviation industry.
Context and Comparison: For context, Delta Air Lines, the oldest airline in the world, was founded on March 2, 1925. With nearly 100 years of history, Delta has set a benchmark in the aviation industry, and Ethiopian Airlines’ inclusion in the list of the 15 oldest airlines in the world is a testament to its enduring legacy and success.
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines– Founded on October 7, 1919 (105 years old)
- Avianca– Founded on December 5, 1919 (104 years old)
- Qantas Airways– Founded on November 16, 1920 (103 years old)
- Aeroflot– Founded on February 9, 1923 (101 years old)
- Czech Airlines– Founded on October 6, 1923 (101 years old)
- Finnair– Founded on November 1, 1923 (101 years old)
- Tajik Air– Founded in 1924 (100 years old)
- Delta Air Lines– Founded on March 2, 1925 (99 years old)
- Air Serbia– Founded on June 17, 1927 (97 years old)
- Iberia– Founded on June 28, 1927 (97 years old)
- EgyptAir– Founded on June 7, 1932 (92 years old)
- Air India– Founded on July 29, 1933 (91 years old)
- Philippine Airlines– Founded on February 26, 1941 (83 years old)
- Ethiopian Airlines– Founded on December 21, 1945 (78 years old)
- Cathay Pacific– Founded on September 24, 1946 (78 years old)
Cheers indeed! Ethiopian Airlines has earned an incredible place in aviation history. Founded in 1945, it has steadily grown to become one of the most respected and successful airlines in Africa and around the world. Now being recognized among the top 15 oldest airlines is a testament to its legacy of excellence and resilience.
Ethiopian Airlines has not only maintained its longevity but has also become a symbol of national pride, connecting Ethiopia to over 120 international destinations. Its commitment to modernization, innovation, and customer service makes this achievement even more remarkable. Truly something to celebrate!
What a gem of the colored just like the old country itself!!!
Wait a minute! I’m ahead of myself here! This is just in and hot off the press. It is now reported that the EAL’s revenue has tanked by more than 99% because it lost daily flights to Piccolo Roma. All its planes are now being auctioned off on 9th Street in DC. Hurry up and bid before it is all gone! It is reported that its CEO has found a refuge in an abandoned building in Minnesota, Toronto, Oslo, LA, Tennessee, Michigan and Down Under being hounded by bigots and connivers.
ወንድም መስፍን ጣሰው፦
ታላላቆቻችን “ገፋ ገፋ አድርገው ውጣው አቀበቱን፣ ልብ ያሰኘው ነገር አይገኝ ዕለቱን።” ይሉ ነበር። ለታሪካዊ ድርጅት መሪ ሆኖ ተጨማሪ ታሪክ መሥራት መቻል መታደል ነው። ለአየር መንገዳችን ብዙ እየተመኘህለት መሆኑን እናውቃለን፣ ዕንቅፋትም እንደሚኖር እንገምታለን። ግን ኢትዮጵያ ምርጥ ልጇን መሪ አድርጋለችና የተመኘኸው ይሳካል ብለን እናምናለን። እንደምታውቀው፣ ጥሩ ውጤት የሚገኘው በጥሩ ራስና ያላሰለሰ ገንቢ ጥረት ቅንጅት ነውና ያም ዛሬ አየር መንገዳችን አለው። ሁላችንም ለምንናፍቀው ለተጨማሪ ስኬት አሁንም በርታ፣ ወንድሜ !