• Ethiopian Airlines opens Yabello airport, starts thrice-weekly flights
• Expansion targets 26 domestic routes, 270 aircraft by 2035
• Broader plan includes MRO, hospitality, and airport management

Ethiopian Airlines Group has inaugurated an airport in Yabello, in the southern Oromia regional state, and has launched three weekly flights to the new facility. The airport features a runway, access roads, and a temporary terminal, among other facilities. This development marks a key step in the carrier’s strategy to expand its domestic network and aligns with government policies to strengthen Ethiopia’s internal air connectivity and transportation infrastructure.

The new airport is part of a roadmap to grow Ethiopian Airlines' domestic network from 22 to 26 destinations. CEO Mesfin Tasew stated this objective will be boosted by the upcoming operationalization of airports currently under construction in Gore Metu, Mizan Aman, Debre Markos, and Negele Borena.

These new facilities are also part of the group's broader expansion plan, which aims to increase its fleet to 270 aircraft by 2035 and its annual passenger traffic to 67 million. This growth is projected to boost annual revenue to $25 billion by the same year.

Beyond air services, Ethiopian Airlines is also focused on building an aviation industry value chain by developing other segments, including hospitality, airport infrastructure management, and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services.

Henoc Dossa