KARACHI: Ethiopian Airlines has inaugurated its new route between Addis Ababa and Karachi, with the airline’s first Boeing 737 MAX 8 arriving in the Metropolis Tuesday morning on May 9.
برٹش ائیر ویز اور ورجن اٹلانٹک کی پاکستان میں بندش لیکن سول ایوی ایشن کی سر توڑ کوششوں کے بعد ایتھوپین ائیر لاین نے پاکستان کے لیے پروازوں کا آغاز کر دیا۔ وزیر اعلی اندھ مراد علی شاہ نے خود ائیر پورٹ پر جا کر استقبال کیا pic.twitter.com/IImGQ2Lx3i
— Zubair Ali Khan (@ZubairAlikhanUN) May 9, 2023
The flight, numbered ET694, departed from Addis Ababa at 10:37 PM on May 8 and completed its journey in 4 hours and 27 minutes, arriving in Karachi at 5:04 AM. The airline will operate four weekly flights between Addis Ababa and Karachi.
A high-level Ethiopian delegation arrived in Karachi on the first flight. Upon arrival, they were welcomed by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who greeted the three Ministers of State from Ethiopia and senior officials from their ministries. The flight carried a total of 110 passengers. The Chief Minister extended a warm welcome to the Ethiopian ministers, diplomats, and industrialists.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali received Ethopian state Ministers for Foreign Affairs Mr Mesganu Arga, Technology Fozia Amin and Commerce Kassahun Gofe at Old Terminal. pic.twitter.com/5W6xjbIUpr
— Sindh Chief Minister House (@SindhCMHouse) May 9, 2023
To mark the occasion, the Sindh Chief Minister inaugurated the arrival of the flight by cutting a cake at the Old Terminal VIP Lounge. He also introduced the Ethiopian delegation to the provincial ministers. The Chief Minister stated that “Ethiopian Airlines has the means to connect Karachi to Ethiopia and vice versa.”
Furthermore, the Sindh Chief Minister expressed his optimism that these flights will promote trade and tourism between Sindh and Ethiopia.
Earlier, speaking to the media at Karachi Press Club, Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan, Jemal Beker Abdulla, highlighted that the direct connectivity between the two countries will play a vital role in strengthening mutual relations.
The delegation includes Ethiopia’s Ministers of State for Science and Innovation and Trade and Regional Integration, as well as members of the business community. The Ethiopian official delegation is on a three-day official visit to Pakistan, aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Currently, the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Ethiopia stands at around $78 million, which the two countries aim to increase to $200 million by the end of the year. The arrival of the high-level delegation on the inaugural flight demonstrates Ethiopia’s commitment to enhancing its relationship with Pakistan.
