China's BRI important impetus to boost Ethiopian Airlines' global presence -- CEO

(Photo/Global Times)

ADDIS ABABA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam on Wednesday said the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an important impetus to boost the airline's global presence.

Ethiopia's national carrier, which aspires to enhance air connectivity between China and the African continent, has envisaged to utilize the BRI to drive its ambition, Gebremariam said in an interview with Xinhua.

"The BRI is expected to boost trade, investment, tourism relations between China and Africa," Gebremariam said, adding that Ethiopian airlines will play its part in ensuring greater economic connectivity between the two sides.

The CEO said the BRI is an opportunity for Ethiopia's flag carrier to pursue new destinations in China.

"We are working to make Ethiopia a hub for Chinese aviation in Africa, a key part of our BRI economic integration plan," Gebremariam said.

Also, the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation would be an "ideal platform," he said, stressing the airline's aspiration to use the BRI to augment its flight networks.

Ethiopian airlines expects to establish partnership agreements with two Chinese airports on the sidelines of the forum, slated to be held later this month in Beijing, he said.

"ET will sign cooperation agreements with Chongqing and Zhengzhou airports to start cargo flights between Ethiopia and China," Gebremariam added.

Proposed in 2013, the BRI aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Ethiopia's national carrier currently operates daily passenger flights from Addis Ababa to Guangzhou and Beijing, and three-times-a-week passenger flights to Chengdu, as well as daily passenger and cargo flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Gebremariam said Ethiopian airline, which started flight services to China in 1973, has developed a "unique opportunity" to observe the economic transformation of China in the last four decades, which helped China lift hundreds of millions of its people out of poverty.

"Ethiopia, with its own economic development program, is already aiming to emulate China's unprecedented economic development over the last several decades," the CEO said.

The East African country, one of the countries cooperating with China in implementing the BRI, has accomplished various achievements, including the 500-million-U.S. dollar Addis Ababa-Adama expressway, the first expressway in Ethiopia and East Africa.