Company: Ethiopian Airlines
Country: Ethiopia
Sector: Airline
CEO: Mesfin Tasew Bekele
Website: https://www.ethiopianairlines.com
Careers Page: https://corporate.ethiopianairlines.com/AboutEthiopian/careers
LinkedIn: https://et.linkedin.com/company/ethiopian-airlines
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Founded: 1945
Valuation/Revenue: $6.118bn revenue (African Business Top 250, FY2025 data); $9.1bn revenue reported for the most recent financial year, up roughly 20% year-on-year, with 20.7 million passengers carried (Ethiopian Airlines Group/borkena.com/Africa Report, July 2026)
Ethiopian Airlines Group is Ethiopia’s flag carrier and Africa’s largest airline group by fleet size, passenger numbers and revenue, operating an extensive pan-African, Asian, European and American route network from its Addis Ababa hub. Wholly owned by the Ethiopian government, it is widely regarded as one of the continent’s most successful and consistently profitable state-owned enterprises.
What Does Ethiopian Airlines Do?
Ethiopian Airlines operates passenger and cargo flights connecting Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport to more destinations across Africa than any other carrier, alongside a large international network spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. The wider Ethiopian Airlines Group also encompasses Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services, Ethiopian MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), Ethiopian Aviation Academy, Ethiopian Airports Enterprise, and equity stakes in partner carriers across the continent, including ASKY Airlines (West Africa), Malawi Airlines and, more recently, ventures in Zambia and other markets as part of its “multi-hub” pan-African expansion strategy.
Is Ethiopian Airlines Legit?
Yes. It is one of the oldest continuously operating airlines in Africa, a long-standing member of the Star Alliance global airline network, and one of very few African carriers to have remained consistently profitable across most of the past two decades — a track record that stands in sharp contrast to many other state-owned African airlines that have required repeated bailouts or ceased operations entirely.
How Big Is Ethiopian Airlines?
African Business magazine’s Top 250 Companies in Africa dataset placed Ethiopian Airlines’ revenue at roughly $6.12 billion. More recent company disclosures reported in 2026 show the airline group’s annual revenue climbing to $9.1 billion, an increase of roughly 20% year-on-year, on the back of 20.7 million passengers carried, according to Group CEO Mesfin Tasew — figures that, if confirmed in audited annual accounts, would make it comfortably one of the largest revenue-generating single companies in Africa.
Who Is the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines?
Mesfin Tasew Bekele has served as Group Chief Executive Officer since March 2022, and his tenure has since been extended through to 2027. He is a long-serving Ethiopian Airlines executive with decades of experience across the airline’s operations prior to becoming CEO.
Who Owns Ethiopian Airlines?
Ethiopian Airlines is wholly owned by the government of Ethiopia. While there has periodically been public discussion in Ethiopia about partial privatisation or bringing in strategic international investors, the airline has to date remained under full state ownership.
What Has Ethiopian Airlines Been in the News For Recently?
The airline has been prominently covered for its record 2025/2026 revenue performance, even as analysts and the trade press have flagged risks including regional conflict and security concerns near Ethiopia and across parts of its African network, currency and fuel cost pressures, and intensifying competition from Gulf carriers (Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines) for African-to-international connecting traffic. The company has also continued expanding its multi-hub strategy through partnerships and minority stakes in other African carriers, part of a long-term plan to extend its dominance of intra-African air travel.
How Does Ethiopian Airlines Compare to Its Competitors?
Within Africa, Ethiopian Airlines’ main rivals are Kenya Airways, South African Airways, RwandAir and EgyptAir, none of which currently match its scale, profitability or international network reach. On intercontinental routes into and out of Africa, it increasingly competes with major Gulf carriers that have used Dubai, Doha and Istanbul as connecting hubs for African travellers, a competitive pressure Ethiopian has countered by aggressively expanding its own African route density via Addis Ababa.
How Do I Apply for a Job at Ethiopian Airlines?
The airline posts current vacancies through its corporate careers section at corporate.ethiopianairlines.com/AboutEthiopian/careers, covering roles from pilots and cabin crew to engineering, ground operations and corporate functions, in addition to postings on its LinkedIn company page and third-party aviation job boards.
Where Is Ethiopian Airlines Headquartered?
Ethiopian Airlines is headquartered at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which also serves as its primary operational hub.
Links
Website: https://www.ethiopianairlines.com
Careers Page: https://corporate.ethiopianairlines.com/AboutEthiopian/careers
LinkedIn: https://et.linkedin.com/company/ethiopian-airlines
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
Is Ethiopian Airlines government-owned? Yes, it is wholly owned by the government of Ethiopia.
Who is the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines? Mesfin Tasew Bekele, Group CEO since March 2022, with his tenure extended to 2027.
What does Ethiopian Airlines do? It operates passenger and cargo flights across Africa and internationally, and also runs cargo, MRO, and pilot training businesses.
How much revenue does Ethiopian Airlines generate? Reported at roughly $9.1 billion for its most recent financial year, up from about $6.12 billion in African Business’s 2025 Top 250 ranking.
Is Ethiopian Airlines part of an airline alliance? Yes, it is a member of Star Alliance.
Where is Ethiopian Airlines headquartered? Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.