As Ethiopian prepares for a major restoration of its Chinese network, the airline also has plans in place to expand its presence in the US by launching a new service from Addis Ababa to Atlanta in May.
From May 16, 2023, the Ethiopian national carrier will offer four flights per week between its base in Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport and Atlanta-Hartsfield Jackson Airport, operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that can accommodate 30 passengers in Business class and 285 in Economy.
Although Ethiopian is a member of the Star Alliance, Atlanta is not a hub for the alliance and according to Aviation Week, the Star Alliance airline is currently in talks with Delta Air Lines – a member of the SkyTeam alliance – to establish a codeshare agreement.
Ethiopian Airlines will have no competition on this route, with Delta Air Lines offering flights to Africa from Lagos, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Accra.
This new route will be Ethiopian’s sixth destination in North America, in addition to Chicago (via Dublin one way), New York JFK (via Lomé in both directions), Newark (via Lomé, Togo), Toronto in Canada (via Dublin one way), and Washington D.C (via Dublin on the one way or via Lomé).
Departures are scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 p.m. to arrive the next day in Dublin at 4:20 a.m., leave 50 minutes later after refueling and land in the USA at 9:00 a.m. (flight time 18 hours).
The return flights will leave Georgia on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 10:35 a.m. to land directly in Ethiopia the next day at 7:50 a.m.
