Ethiopian Connecting People-to-people Ties, Economic Cooperation in Africa: Italian Ambassador

Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Airlines has been playing irreplaceable role in connecting people-to-people and economic cooperation with the entire continent of Africa, Italian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Agostino Palese said.Ethiopian Airlines celebrated six decades of uninterrupted flying service between Ethiopia and Italy.During the occasion, Ethiopian Group CEO Mesfin Tassew said that Italy is one of the earliest and biggest markets of Ethiopian which grows to become crucial spot in Europe with second service points to Milan.'We have contributed our share to the development of the relationship of the two countries. Ethiopian airline is the leading airline today in Africa; it is not only the leading but also the largest serving 40 countries and connecting countries and African people to the rest of the world. We fly to 139 cities around the world,' he elaborated.For 60 years, Ethiopian wings have cut through the clouds, carrying not just passengers and cargo, but hopes, dreams and the indomitable spirit of Eth iopia, Mesfin stated, and added 'our flights to Italy have remained a steadfast symbol of our dedication to connecting cultures, economies, and people.'He added that the daily flight services of Ethiopian to Rome and Milan has given an option to its valued customer in the region to seamlessly connect to 64 plus and more than 139 destinations of Ethiopian in Africa and worldwide respectively.Ethiopian now operates some of the most advanced aircraft on the Rome route, including Airbus series, Mesfin said, and added 'we eagerly the arrival of Africa's first Airbus A350-1000.'Ethiopian Airlines has earned numerous accolades over the years including the Best Airline in Africa for seven consecutive years and Prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards which is the testament to unwavering commitment to providing the highest standards of service and innovation in aviation, the CEO emphasized.Italian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Agostino Palese said that the contribution of Ethiopian airlines over the past 60 years wa s immense.He added that it has played irreplaceable role in connecting people-to-people and economic cooperation not only with Ethiopia but also with the entire continent of Africa.'This is the 60th year anniversary of the starting relationship between Ethiopian airlines and Italy. So we are very happy that Ethiopian airline is increasing flight to Italy and Milan starting from December we will have 14 flights per week. And we are collaborating even like hub for American flights,' Ambassador Palese noted.Source: Ethiopian News Agency