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Ethiopian Airlines is the national airline of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Airlines pioneered the first east-west flights across Africa in the 1950s and has the largest pan-African network among any airline. Its main hub is Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian Airlines was established as Ethiopian Air Lines Inc. In 1945, Emperor Hailesilassie, the then ruler of Ethiopia, contracted Trans World Airlines (TWA) to set up and manage the airline. The airline commenced operations on April 8, 1946 with a weekly service between Addis Ababa and Cairo. Its initial fleet consisted of five Douglas DC-3 propeller-driven aircraft. In the late 1940s, Ethiopian Airlines extended its route network to Nairobi, Port Sudan, Bombay and chartered flights to Jeddah. In July 1953, the Ethiopian Government decided to change personnel entirely to Ethiopians. Ethiopian Airlines started its long haul flights to Frankfurt in 1957. The airline commenced its jet service on January 15, 1963, from Bole to Nairobi.
Ethiopian Airlines operates a modern fleet of aircraft. Its fleet includes six Boeing 767-300s, four Boeing 757s, four Boeing 737-700s (Winglets), 1 Boeing 737-260, Five Fokker 50s, and three DHC Twin Otters. Ethiopian Airlines currently serves 44 international and 30 domestic stations. In India, Ethiopian Airlines flies to Delhi and Mumbai.