Ethiopian Inaugural at MNL

10 July 2015

After truly a long wait, Ethiopian Airlines makes history as the only African airline that fly Manila

Oman Air Flies Daily August 1

Ethiopian Flies July 9

7 July 2015

Oman Air is flying daily services beginning August 1 from Muscat to Manila. The airline is currently calling at Terminal 1 thrice a week using Airbus A330-300 arriving at 10:30PM and leaving the following day at 5:55AM. It is the only Middle East-based airline that stays overnight in Manila.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Airlines will begin thrice a week services from Addis Ababa to Manila on July 9 initially via Bangkok using Boeing 767-300ER every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday arriving NAIA Terminal 1 at 6:45PM and leaves at 10:00PM. It will be the first and only Africa-based airline to operate the route and the second to operate via Bangkok without fifth freedom rights. It will have extensive connections to Africa by arriving Addis Ababa Airport at 6:30AM the following day.

Ethiopian Flies Manila

10 February 2015

Begins Flight on June 27

After a long wait, Ethiopian Airlines is finally here as it sets to fly 3 weekly Addis Ababa – Bangkok – Manila service beginning June 27, 2015 using its brand new Boeing 787-800.

The first African Airline to Manila in many years will leave Addis Ababa at 12:40am arriving Bangkok at 11:20pm. It will then leave the Thai capital for the Philippines at 2:30pm arriving Manila at 7:00pm. Departure time to Bangkok and Addis Ababa is at 10:00pm arriving Bangkok at 12:25am the next day and will then leave at 1:35am arriving the Ethiopian capital 6:30am the next day.

The airline did not secure local traffic rights on Bangkok – Manila sector due to objections of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, but has unlimited traffic rights between Addis Ababa and intermediate points Bangkok if it flies to Cebu, Clark or Davao. You can see our earlier report here.

Ethiopia Seals Air Deal

10 October 2014

The Philippines and Ethiopia has signed a new Air Services Agreement (ASA) allowing their flag carriers to mount flights between the two countries. 

The ASA was sealed in Manila yesterday granting 7 flight entitlements per week between Manila and Addis Ababa, and unlimited flights between Ethiopia and other airports in the Philippines.

"The Philippines and Ethiopia signed yesterday in Manila an Air Services Agreement (ASA) that defined the aviation relationship and the exchange of traffic rights between the two countries," Carmelo Arcilla, Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) executive director said.

The CAB director said its agreement with Ethiopia allows intermediate stops in  Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, India and the Middle East.

Ethiopean has filed with CAB proposed air services between Addis Ababa and Manila via Hong Kong using Boeing 767-300/787-800 planes three times a week but their application was put on hold due to non availability of landing slots at the requested time in Manila. 

The airline has since revised its application with either Bangkok or Singapore as stop-over on the way to Addis Ababa with the same aircraft and frequency but different time schedule. 

Arcilla said that Ehiopean Airlines has sought the ASA to fly Manila either via Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh and Singapore with fifth freedom rights considering the current traffic between the Philippines and Ethiopia is small but only Bangkok and Singapore were granted as they are allowed beyond right by both countries while Hong Kong stops were not granted by the Chinese government.

The airline finally applied for Addis Ababa- Bangkok-Manila route with thrice a week flight beginning summer of next year.

Ethiopian has been cleared to land at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport with their revised schedule and the airline is expected to use Terminal 1 once it commence flight. 

The airline flies to Hong Kong, Beijing, Guanzhou, Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul.

Manila flight is seen either as replacement to the Addis Ababa-Bangkok-Singpore service which was terminated by the airline to be replace soon by direct B787 flight to Addis Ababa in April 2015 or a tag-on service from Singapore says Arcilla who clarified that route planning depends upon the airline.

Ethiopian Fly bye?

Ethiopian Airlines may need to reconsider its time for its flights to Manila after it fails to secure landing slots at congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport to its preferred arrival and departure banks according to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The Africa-based airline admitted that it encountered technical problems in Manila without elaborating further. CAB earlier denied Oman Air and Jet Air landing applications to Manila due to slot capacity constraints.