Instability damages the development of Ethiopian Airlines

Political instabilities and uncertainties are vices that hamper the growth of Ethiopia's celebrated corporate entity: Ethiopian Airlines. In its 60-year history, the company's growth was slowed twice in the mid 1970s and early 1990s.

At public discussion held at the Hilton Hotel on Friday, September 23, 2005, Col. Semeret Medhane, current board member and the first Ethiopian chief of the airline said the most critical period was in the 1970s when the 1974 revolution ousted Emperor Hailesellasie, whom he commended for realizing the importance of an airline for a landlocked country such as Ethiopia.

The recent political uncertainty that has followed the electoral dispute has led to tell-tale signs of damage in the form of booking cancellations, of about 20pc from some destinations.

Booking cancellations have grown four percent five months ago to 20pc now out of the total of European and American passengers whose destinations were supposed to be Addis Ababa, Semeret said.

"The airline ought to be free of political intervention by governments except for long term strategy consideration" he said.

The discussion held under the main theme of Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer was attended by officials from government, non-government, the academia and private institutions.

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