Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa launch codeshare flights
Ethiopian Airlines and Lufthansa passengers can therefore fly with either airline on routes between Frankfurt and Addis Ababa, the website redtram.international said, adding that customers will then have a choice of seven flights per week on this route.
The cooperation agreement was signed by Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Girma Wake and Lufthansa Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber, it was indicated. The codeshare flights, which can be booked now, offer customers greater flexibility and a wider choice of connections. A Lufthansa Airbus A300-600 will depart from Frankfurt for Addis Ababa four times weekly, with a stopover in Khartoum. Ethiopian Airlines will operate a thrice-weekly Boeing 767 service on this route. The codeshare agreement and the cooperation between Lufthansa and Ethiopian Airlines have established the basis for further collaboration, the website noted. An extension of the codeshare agreement to onward flights from Frankfurt to European and US destinations as well as from Addis Ababa to destinations in Eastern and Central Africa is already under discussion. ''This codesharing agreement will benefit the customers of both airlines. It will boost Lufthansa’s flight offering in Africa and also give passengers from Ethiopia access to our global route network via our Frankfurt hub,'' Wolfgang Mayrhuber said. The frequent flyer programs of both airlines have been linked since October 2007. Members of the Lufthansa Miles&More program and Ethiopian Sheba Miles can thus earn and redeem miles on any of the partner airline’s flights, it was pointed out. Ethiopian Airlines has partnered with LSG Sky Chefs, which has assisted in managing and upgrading the airline’s catering division by improving the production standards. '' The codeshare flights between Addis Ababa and Frankfurt mark the beginning of a stronger cooperation to come as both airlines are planning to cover other markets in the future,'' according to Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Girma Wake. Ethiopian Airlines is based in Addis Ababa and is one of the largest airlines in Africa, the website recalled, adding that the Africa Aviation Journal has awarded Ethiopian Airlines '' Best African Airline. '' The carrier completed its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946. Today, the carrier serves a total of 50 destinations worldwide among which 30 are in Africa. Ethiopian Airlines aims to be the first airline to operate Boeing’s Dreamliner B787 in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, it further noted.
