Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Ethiopian Airlines Group, a Star Alliance member, has colourfully marked the 20th anniversary of Star Alliance, the largest global airline network. At the same time the group inaugurated its maiden flight to Kaduna, Nigeria at a reception held at Ethiopian main hub Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, at the beginning of August.
Ethiopian Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam and Star Alliance CEO, Jeffrey Goh, both attended the event with Ethiopian Airlines employees where they discussed ongoing developments and the Alliance’s strategy for the next decade.
“We are glad to celebrate this momentous occasion at Ethiopian and wish all members of the Alliance a Happy 20th anniversary. We are sincerely honoured and are very thankful to Mr Goh for joining us here today,” GebreMariam said.
“Dedicated to innovation for a thriving customer experience across the Alliance’s network, Star Alliance has benefited member airlines and customers with its worldwide reach and seamless connectivity.
“In a historic coincidence, the inaugural ceremony of our fifth destination in Nigeria, Kaduna has matched with the 20th anniversary celebration. As a Pan-African airline and a proud member of Star Alliance, we are pleased to avail seamless connectivity to 55 African cities. I strongly believe that the future holds better collaboration and growth for all of us in the Alliance,” added GebreMariam.
“One of the founding pillars of Star Alliance is our global network, which strengthens continuously as our 28 member airlines grow their individual networks. Ethiopian Airlines’ new flight to Kaduna in Nigeria adds a further destination to over 1,300 already on offer to our customers.
“As we move into our third decade, our strategic focus is shifting from adding new member airlines to digitalization. We are steadily enhancing our product offering to include the complementary digital services today’s customers expect,” said Goh.
Created in 1997 by five airlines as the first global aviation alliance, Star Alliance currently offers more than 18,400 daily flights to 1,300 airports in 191 countries.