Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s largest aviation group, inaugurated its new premium lounge at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Ethiopian unveiled the new facility today in a ceremony attended by high level government officials, the airline’s Board Chairman and board members, executive management, stakeholders, and customers.

Covering a ground area of 5500 m², the world-class facility includes dining and seating areas, bars, an Ethiopian traditional coffee corner, meeting rooms, a children’s room, beauty lounge, prayer room, quiet room, smoking room, luggage room, showers, and more.

Commenting on the opening of the new facility, Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO stated, “The opening of this new Premium lounge represents a transformative step in our mission to elevate every part of the travel experience for our passengers. Combining comfort, convenience, and luxury, the facility is set to take traveling through Addis Ababa Bole International Airport to the next level. This move further reflects our unwavering commitment to deliver an end-to-end, world-class hospitality to our customers.”

With a total investment cost of more than USD 16 million and a capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 passengers at a time, the lounge has become the largest lounge at the airport. The design of the facility that blended locally inspired elements and modern aesthetics offers a suitable environment for both business and leisure passengers.

The new lounge is now open for Platinum and Gold members of Ethiopian ShebaMiles loyalty program, Star Alliance Gold members, as well as eligible frequent flyer program members of other partner airlines. With this latest facility, Ethiopian Airlines continues to create world-class airport experiences for its passengers traveling via Addis Ababa Bole International Airport from across its global network of more than 145 destinations.

About Ethiopian

Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is a true African success story, transforming a visionary dream into a globally renowned reality for nearly eight decades. Operating flights to more than 160 domestic and international passenger, and cargo destinations across five continents, Ethiopian bridges the gaps between Africa and the world. Emphasizing passenger comfort and environmental sustainability, Ethiopian utilizes ultra-modern aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900, A350-1000 and De Havilland Q400.

Ethiopian, the Star Alliance member airline, champions in various coveted awards including Skytrax’s ‘Best Airline in Africa Award’ for eight consecutive years, APEX ‘Best Overall in Africa’ award and ‘Leadership in Connecting Africa through Transport’ Award among others. Ethiopian aims to further excel in its success through a strategic plan dubbed ‘Vision 2035’ and become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world. Embracing a Pan-African spirit, Ethiopian is pursuing multi-hub strategy through hubs in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines, in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways, and in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with Air Congo.

About Ethiopian Airlines:

From Ethiopian:
“Beginning humbly, Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) has come along 79 years of successful journey. Over the decades, the airline has established itself as the leader in all facets of the aviation business: technology, leadership, network expansion and aviation mentoring. Ethiopian is now the leading Aviation Group in Africa.
“Ethiopian started its operation with five C-47 aircraft operating its debut flight to Cairo via Asmara on April 8, 1946. Ever since, it has been growing in leaps and bounds and continued to introduce cutting-edge aviation technology and systems. As aviation technology leader, Ethiopian is a pioneer in ushering new aviation technology into Africa including the first jet airplane as well as the first B767, B777-200LR, B787 Dreamliner, and 787-9 in the continent. Ethiopian also led the way in operating Africa’s first Airbus Airplanes, the Airbus A350-900 XWB and the A350-1000. Currently, the airline has a fleet of more than 160 modern aircraft with an average fleet age of less than seven years; it has also more than 100 ultramodern aircraft on order.
“Living its motto of Bringing Africa Together and Beyond, Ethiopian has created Africa-wide and transcontinental air connectivity networks linking its main hub, Addis Ababa to the rest of the world. The airline serves 145 international passenger and cargo destinations, including 65 African cities, with daily and multiple flights with a minimum layover in Addis. As a veteran carrier serving a vast intra-African network, Ethiopian flies to more destinations in the continent than any other airline.
“In December 2011, Ethiopian took a giant leap forward in its successful journey by joining Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance. Over the years, the multi-award-winning airline has received countless coveted accolades and recognitions for its excellence including Skytrax’s Four-Star Airline ranking, 2025 APEX Passenger Choice Awards ‘Best Overall in Africa’, and ‘US President’s Lifetime Achievement Award’ to mention but a few.
“Building on its continuous success, Ethiopian has achieved more than threefold growth in the past decade. Having met its 15-year strategic plan, Vision 2025, ahead of time, Ethiopian has charted out a more ambitious strategic roadmap called Vision 2035 to further bolster its continuous growth.”