The Ethiopian Airlines (EAL) is set to launch services to Sana'a, Yemen, effective May 14 with four flights per week, and a new nonstop flight to Bahrain, effective June 3, the management said Thursday.

 

The service between Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and Sana'a will operate with recently acquired Boeing 737-700 aircraft, offering 16 business class and 102 economy class seats on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, according to a statement from the airlines.

 

The new service will connect Sana'a via Addis Ababa to Bangkok, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Mumbai, Paris, Brussels, Rome, London, Lagos and Accra.

 

In addition to its tourist attraction for its historical sites, the improvement of the socioeconomic situation of Yemen is showing a significant growth in air transport, the statement said.

 

The commencement of flights to Sana'a will further strengthen the close ties that already exist between the two peoples and governments, it added.

 

The airlines said the new flights to Bahrain, which will be the only nonstop flights between Addis Ababa and Bahrain, will save customers three hours in travel time versus existing connections.

 

It said the commencement of flights to Bahrain will contribute to the growth of trade and cultural relationship between Ethiopia and the Middle East country in addition to opening the door for investment opportunities in Ethiopia.

 

With the addition of Bahrain, The airlines increases its presence in the Middle East and Gulf, where it is already operates double daily to Dubai, daily to Beirut, thrice weekly to Jeddah and effective May this year four times weekly to Sana'a.

 

With more than 60 years in the aviation industry, the airlines today flies to 46 destinations across four continents.

 

The airlines will be the second airlines in the world to take delivery of the Boeing Dreamliner 787, an aircraft that will allow the airlines to expand even further.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2007)