Ethiopian Airlines has announced plans to return to both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur next year. Flights connecting the carrier’s hub at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) with Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN) and onwards to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) will resume on March 25th, 2023.

The airline, voted Skytrax's “Best Airline in Africa” in 2022, will operate the service four times per week using its Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Ethiopian Airlines currently has 19 Boeing 787-8s in its fleet, each seating 270 passengers in a two-class configuration – 24 in business class and 246 in economy class.

Flights will operate as per the following schedule:

• Addis Ababa – Singapore – departs at 23:20, arrives at 14:50 (+1 day)
• Singapore – Kuala Lumpur – departs at 15:50, arrives at 17:10
• Kuala Lumpur – Singapore – departs at 23:15, arrives at 00:45 (+1 day)
• Singapore – Addis Ababa – departs at 02:00, arrives at 05:50

Outbound flights (ET638) will depart Addis Ababa on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The return journey (ET639) will leave Kuala Lumpur on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Increased collaboration between Africa and Southeast Asia

Ethiopian Airlines will not face any direct competition on the route, which it last flew regularly in March 2020 – passenger services were suspended due to the pandemic, but the airline did continue ad-hoc cargo flights. The service resumption will support the continued expansion of trade and collaboration between Africa and Southeast Asia.

In the four years prior to the pandemic, annual passenger numbers between the two continents had increased by 30% to over 1.4 million, and in 2019 alone, Ethiopian Airlines carried 69,000 passengers to and from Singapore. Investments from Singapore into Africa had also risen from $17 billion to $20 billion in the same period.

Ethiopian Airlines’ chief executive officer, Mesfin Tasew, said,

“We are delighted to continue our service to Singapore, which was suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The flight will further expand our network in Asia and create air connectivity for passengers traveling between Africa and Singapore. The new flight will also facilitate trade, investment, and tourism ties between Africa and Singapore. In line with our plan for growing our network around the world, we will keep on opening new routes to enhance connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world via Addis Ababa.”

Passengers on the route will not only enjoy award-winning service from Ethiopian Airlines, but also at Singapore Changi Airport, which is the world’s most awarded airport, having won over 650 accolades for its industry-leading customer service, passenger experience, and safety standards.

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Continued growth for Africa’s largest carrier

Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s largest carrier in terms of passengers carried, destinations served, and fleet size. And its growth is not stopping there – just last month, the airline revealed its “Vision 2035” plans, which will see its number of destinations increase to over 200, and its fleet size double to 270.

Following its return to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, the Star Alliance member’s next service resumption is planned to be to Copenhagen (CPH) on May 22nd, 2023.

Had you flown on Ethiopian Airlines between Addis Ababa and Singapore or Kuala Lumpur prior to the pandemic? Did the award-winning airline live up to its reputation? Share your experiences by commenting below.

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  Ethiopian Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  ET/ETH

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1945

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Mesfin Tasew Bekele

  Country:

  Ethiopia