Ethiopian Airlines has just announced some significant changes to their US route network for their summer 2019 schedule. The airline hasn’t yet fully updated the schedule, but should in the coming days and weeks, at which point we’ll know all the details.
Here’s what’s changing:
Ethiopian Airlines increasing flights to Washington
Ethiopian Airlines will be increasing flights to Washington Dulles as of summer 2019. The airline will fly to Washington Dulles 10x weekly rather than daily, making it their only US destination with more than one daily flight.
Currently the airline flies from Addis Ababa to Dublin to Washington Dulles westbound, and eastbound flies from Washington Dulles to Addis Ababa. The stop in Dublin is strictly for refueling.
The three additional weekly flights will pass through Abidjan in both directions, and they’ll have pick-up rights there.
Ethiopian Airlines increasing flights to Chicago
Ethiopian Airlines will be increasing flights to Chicago as of summer 2019. This is pretty cool since the airline only started flying to Chicago as of June 2018, so I guess the route is performing well.
The airline will fly to Chicago 5x weekly rather than 3x weekly, and the route nonstop eastbound and via Dublin westbound (with no pick-up rights there).
Ethiopian Airlines canceling flights to Los Angeles
As of summer 2019, Ethiopian Airlines will be canceling flights to Los Angeles. Ethiopian Airlines has been flying to Los Angeles since 2015, operating a flight via Dublin in both directions, where they’ve had pick-up rights.
Just recently the airline switched up this route. Ethiopian Airlines’ flight to Addis Ababa operates via Lome, Togo as of December 17, 2018.
Unfortunately this route will be canceled altogether as of summer 2019, meaning LAX will no longer have a nonstop flight to Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines launching flights to Houston
In place of the Los Angeles flight, Ethiopian Airlines will be launching flights to Houston as of summer 2019. The route will operate 3x weekly via West Africa, though they haven’t yet clarified if it will operate via Lome, Abidjan, or somewhere else. This will be the only nonstop flight between Houston and Africa.
The exact schedule hasn’t yet been published, but the flight will be operated by a 787. Ethiopian Airlines had been considering flying to Houston for quite a while, so it’s nice to see them follow through on this.
Bottom line
Ethiopian Airlines is the only major airline in Africa that’s actually doing well, and they’ve built up an incredible route network. It’s sad that they couldn’t make their Los Angeles flight work, especially in light of the recent changes they made to the route. However, I guess the Houston flight is a good alternative, at least.
What do you make of Ethiopian’s changes to their US route network?
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