All-female crew operate Ethiopian Airlines’ inaugural Buenos Aires flight

March 8 is International Women’s Day, and Ethiopian Airlines celebrated the day with a historic flight, an all-female crew from Addis Ababa to Buenos Aires in Argentina. The all female crew flew the iconic B787 Dreamliner.

Speaking at the launch of the airline’s five weekly flights to Buenos Aires, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, said “To mark this important occasion and as part of our commitment of mainstreaming gender into our core business, we have made the inaugural flight on 8 March an All Women Operated Flight”. 

While an all female operated flight is not new for Ethiopian Airlines, this particular flight is historic as the airline’s inaugural flight to Buenos Aires. Having an all female crew operate and fly the airline’s inaugural flight to Buenos Aires, is not only commendable but an inspiration, which cements the airline’s commitment to providing equal opportunities.

All female flight crew. Photo: Ethiopian Airlines/Twitter

In 2015, Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airline to fly an all-female crew out of Africa. The history making flight deck crew operated the flight from the capital, Addis Ababa to Bangkok, Thailand. Ethiopian Airlines called it, “#Ethiopian first All Women Functioned Flight”. Every part of the flight was done by a woman, from the pilots who flew the plane, cabin crew, ground staff, and air traffic controllers. Even an all female customs and immigration officers crew on arrival in Bangkok.

Read: First all-female crew flight by Malawian Airlines

Commenting on the celebrated flight in 2015, the CEO GebreMariam said, the historic endeavour was meant to empower and inspire women. “As you know, here in the continent of Africa, we are lagging behind in women empowerment. So this is going to inspire all the school girls in Africa that they have a very bright future in the 21st century,” GebreMariam said.

Ethiopia Airlines has made great strides towards offering world class aviation services and the airline’s efforts have been rewarded, winning various continental and international awards.

In February, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services, Africa’s largest cargo operator, was awarded as “Fastest growing International Cargo Airline of the Year” at Air Cargo India International conference held in Mumbai. In March, the airline won the African Leadership Excellence Award.

Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.