The global airline industry is going down; so why is Ethiopian Airlines looking up?
Thousands of airlines the world over have not flown in the last couple of months. From high-cost airlines to low-cost flights, planes have been grounded, as international, regional, and even national routes remain cancelled.
But even at a time when it still looks like it has to get worse before getting better, the Ethiopian Airlines Group made a surprise announcement. During an interview on May 5, company CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said that the Group is in talks with Mauritius and South Africa to revive their insolvent airlines.
"The Mauritian government is thinking of restarting that business with Ethiopian Airlines. We are at the initial point of the discussion to see what kind of partnership or joint venture it will be."
Although there were no proposals on the table with South Africa yet, GebreMariam said Ethiopian was willing to hold negotiations aimed at reviving the country's bankrupt airline. South Africa Airways is also embroiled in a tussle between various stakeholders about its ownership.