Chief operating officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Ato Mesfin Tassew, received the award at the annual awards gala dinner held on 30 April 2012 at the Disney Atlantic Dance Hall in Orlando, Florida (USA).
With the introduction of the Q-400 aircraft, Ethiopian not only has enhanced the comfort and safety of its passengers but also effectively addressed the need for additional capacity spurred by the country's double digit economic growth. Through enhancing its domestic and regional services further, Ethiopian Airlines also connects regional states with neighbouring countries.
Ethiopian Airlines owns eight Bombardier Q-400s which services its domestic and regional routes. The airline recently ordered five more Q-400s, upgraded with seven business class seats, bigger baggage compartments and two lavatories.
The Bombardier Airline Reliability Performance Awards are presented annually to operators of CRJ services and Q-400 series aircraft in recognition of outstanding dispatch reliability. Each winner must succeed in delivering an average dispatch reliability rate of 99% or higher on revenue passenger flights during 2011 and the highest dispatch reliability performance in their respective product class and region.
Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946. With the addition of new flight services to Hangzhou, Milan and Madras, Ethiopian will provide dependable services to 63 international destinations spanning four continents.
Recently, Ethiopian won the 2011 'AFRICAN CARGO AIRLINE OF THE YEAR' Award for its excellence in air cargo. Ethiopian won the NEPAD Transport Infrastructure Excellence Awards 2009 and the 2009 'Airline of the Year' award from the African Airlines Association (AFRAA). In August, 2008, Ethiopian won "the 2008 Corporate Achievement Award" of Aviation & Allied Business for setting the pace towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry. Ethiopian was also the first African carrier to win the 2008 Brussels Airport Company Award in recognition of its distinguished long haul operations witnessed through the introduction of new routes, new products, and close cooperation with Brussels Airport in marketing activities.
