Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline network, has resumed direct flights to Karachi after a 19-year break. The flight, carrying 110 passengers, including Ethiopian officials, diplomats, and a trade delegation, arrived at Jinnah International Airport as scheduled.
Upon arrival, the passengers received a traditional and grand welcome. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and his delegation and provincial ministers greeted the flight at the Old Terminal.
Sindh’s Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also shared a post on Twitter from the Old Terminal.
Flight ET 694, which experienced a 52-minute delay, arrived at Jinnah International Airport one minute ahead of schedule. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft completed the four-hour and 25-minute journey and will return to Addis Ababa as flight ET 695.
Previously, Ethiopian Airlines operated direct flights to Karachi in the 1960s and 1990s before discontinuing the service. After nearly two decades, the airline resumed its service on May 9, 2023.
Ethiopian Airlines intends to offer four weekly flights between Addis Ababa and Karachi. At a press conference in Karachi, the Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan, Jamal Beker Abdula, expressed gratitude to the Pakistani government for reestablishing air connectivity. He also emphasized the potential benefits of direct flights for fostering trade and tourism between Ethiopia and Pakistan.
