• Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-8
    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

Ethiopian Airlines is set to bolster its Latin American schedule by adding more flights to São Paulo and Buenos Aires. From July 1st, the African carrier will operate an additional flight per week to both destinations, taking it to four weekly services.

Ethiopian Airlines ups flights to Brazil and Argentina

As international air travel bounces back, Ethiopian Airlines will increase the frequency of its services to Brazil and Argentina over the summer. The airline currently flies to São Paulo (GRU) and Buenos Aires (EZE) three times a week from its base at Addis Ababa (ADD).

Starting on July 1st, the carrier will add one more weekly flight to this service, which stops at São Paulo first before continuing to Buenos Aires. Ethiopian presently operates this flight on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and will now add a Friday service.

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Photo: byeangel via Wikimedia Commons

The full schedule is as follows:

  • ET 506 - Departs Addis Ababa at 10:05, arrives in São Paulo at 16:15.
  • ET 506 - Departs São Paulo at 17:30, arrives in Buenos Aires at 20:25.
  • ET 507 - Departs Buenos Aires at 21:55, arrives in São Paulo at 00:30(+1).
  • ET 507 - Departs São Paulo at 01:45(+1), arrives in Addis Ababa at 19:45(+1).

Demand for tickets on this route shoots up over July due to the winter school holidays in Brazil and Argentina. Ethiopian will offer up 1,080 weekly seats per leg once it ups its schedule to four flights per week.

Served by the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Ethiopian Airlines flights to São Paulo and Buenos Aires are conducted by its fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. The airline has 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, of which 19 are the 787-8 type.

The airline's 787-8s offer seating for 270 passengers in a two-class configuration - 24 in business class and 246 in economy. Ethiopian received its first 787-8 Dreamliner in 2012 and has since turned its eye to the larger 787-9 variety.

Ethiopian's 787-8s have been busy serving its US network, which has seen a resurgence in business travel. Last month, simple Flying explored this in detail with Ethiopian Airlines' USA Regional Director, Samson Arega.

Discover more aviation news with Simple Flying.

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It's rare to find a Dreamliner operating a short-haul route. Photo: Kambui via Wikimedia Commons

Boardroom upheaval

Africa's largest carrier recently underwent wholesale changes to its leadership structure, which included the departure of long-time CEO Tewolde GebreMariam.

GebreMariam had to step down earlier than planned due to health issues, announcing his departure on March 23rd. By March 26th, Ethiopian had already appointed a new group CEO, with former COO Mesfin Tasew Bekele stepping up.

Have you flown with Ethiopian Airlines to São Paulo or Buenos Aires before? What did you think of the level of service? Let us know your experiences in the comments.