Ethiopian Airlines’ most popular route is between Joburg and Mumbai
Last year Ethiopian Airlines transported more passengers between India and South Africa than any other route.
Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s largest carrier, ranking first for the number of passenger airports served.
The latest booking stats from the airline revealed Mumbai-Johannesburg as the leading origin-destination pair last year, with an estimated 59 000 roundtrip passengers, according to Simple Flying.
INDIA-SOUTH AFRICA LEADS
In 2023 Ethiopian Airlines transported more passengers between the two nations than elsewhere. This is due to Addis Ababa’s strategic location, and the airline’s competitive pricing.
It is also influenced by a lack of non-stop flights between the two countries.
The carrier serves Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai in India, and Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa.
TOP AIRPORT PAIRS
Ethiopian Airlines’ top 10 most popular airport pairs (origins and destinations) in 2023 were:
Mumbai-Johannesburg via Addis Ababa
Dubai-Kinshasa
Jeddah-Kano
Manchester-Lagos
Marseille-Comoros
Dubai-Bamako
Paris CDG-Comoros
Jeddah-Abuja
London Heathrow-Lagos
Frankfurt-Windhoek
With Mumbai-Johannesburg as the leading origin-destination pair, it carried 81 passengers daily each way.
Remarkably, when all airlines are considered, Ethiopian carried almost 50% of passengers between the two cities.
Dubai-Kinshasa, potentially served by Emirates in the future, also showed significant demand. This highlights the important role Ethiopian Airlines plays in connecting various global regions, with South Africa being a critical hub in its network.
The last time there were non-stop flights between Johannesburg and Mumbai was in 2015 (served by South African Airways) and aviation experts say the market is crying out for them to return.
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES THE BIGGEST CONNECTER
By next month, Ethiopian Airline’s route map will include 132 airports across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America, and South America.
Freetown, Maun, Nekemte, and Warsaw will also be added as new destinations.
As a significant carrier, Ethiopian Airlines is the leading African operator for connecting passengers. Data shows around 11 million passengers transited through its Addis Ababa hub last year, working out to over 30 000 passengers daily.