Airline Identity
History
Ethiopian Airlines was founded on 21 December 1945 with technical assistance from Trans World Airlines (TWA) and began flying in April 1946, becoming a share company under its current name in 1965. It has grown from a small regional carrier into Africa's largest airline group, expanding into cargo, MRO, ground handling, aviation training and hotel operations, and it joined Star Alliance in December 2011 as the alliance's third African member.
Current Operations
Ethiopian Airlines operates an extensive network from its Addis Ababa hub spanning Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas, combining substantial short/medium-haul African routes with a large long-haul widebody operation. It is wholly owned by the Ethiopian state through Ethiopian Airlines Group and Ethiopia's sovereign wealth fund, and it operates a modern mixed Boeing and Airbus fleet, including 787 Dreamliners and A350s, alongside a significant dedicated freighter fleet.
Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.