Timket celebration in Hawassa

Addis Ababa – Timket (Ethiopian Epiphany), which marks the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist  in the Jordan River was colorfully celebrated throughout Ethiopia today.

Timket is usually observed on January 19 and this year being a leap year, it is celebrated today.

The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, His holiness Abune Mathias, said after giving benediction to the crowd gathered at Jal Meda let the haves gives to the have not.  That is one of main deeds one needs to fulfill while celebrating Epiphany, said the patriarch.

Abune Mathias addresses a number of social issues ranging from importance of social justice to the benefits of truth, from corruption to ethical considerations in once life in his grand speech dwelling in to the religious doctrine of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

“Epiphany means redemption by spiritual power. Thus, while celebrating epiphany you need thrive to ensure your country’s redemption by ensuring peace and development ‘’ said the patriarch.

Ethiopia: Timket Getting Colorful Year After Year

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The horn of Africa wing, Ethiopia embeds cross-cultural civilizations from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East offering you exclusivity you cannot find anywhere in the world. Jovago, Africa’s leading online hotel booking company introduces you to popular spots of this gifted land with unique historical wonders and one of its kind hospitality.

Ethiopia’s landscape and admirable weather conditions makes it an exceptional destination in the world.  The four streams of the Blue Nile creates a magnificent wonder. Lake Tana, the source of Blue Nile River which meets the White Nile River in neighboring Sudan forms an attractive spectacle in the land of Ethiopia. The view of the river’s powerful waterfalls leaves travelers with a timeless experience.

Its northeastern part is one of the few places on earth where a volcano becomes a fire seafloor. The hottest Danakil depression is 125 meters below sea level. This active volcano named Erta Ale bubbles up to the surface creating Fire Lake. The view of this fire lake makes you feel like you are standing on another planet. Among the extreme destinations, Dallol, one of the lowest points on African continent at 116 meters below sea level. Dallol features an extreme version of hot desert climate overheating all year round. The white and yellow color sparkling salt peaks of the place generates bright escaped.

Simien and Bale Mountains constitutes 70% of African mountains being one of the finest places on earth for climbers. The mountains as high as 4,620 meters above sea level are full of life, with indigenous people and wild animals living on top,far from the rest of the world. The mountains provide a fresh cold breath giving a sensation that you are on top of the world.

The ancient skillful architectures of the country

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AddisNews: U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia released a statement on the visa issuance in Ethiopia after a spread of rumors on social media as visa issuing limitation has been placed.

Following the Donald Trump’s executive order blocking refugees and citizens of seven mostly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. rumor has been spreading U.S. Embassy is issuing only few numbers of visas due to the limitation by the new U.S. government order.

U.S. Embassy Statement on Visa Issuance on Ethiopia [Press Release]

We would like to clarify the most recent developments regarding U.S. visa issuance in Ethiopia.   Rumors that limitations have been placed on the issuance of visas in Ethiopia are false and we continue to process visa applications as usual.

Applicants whose visa expired less than 12 months ago are eligible to reapply through the interview waiver program, although they will be subject to the same rigorous security screening and may need to appear for an interview if requested by a consular officer.

All other applicants between the ages of 14 and 79, with the exception of certain classes of official visas, must apply in person.   Foreign nationals from the seven countries subject to restrictions under Executive Order 13769, which did not include Ethiopia, may also continue to apply for visas as usual as the State Department has complied with the federal court order barring enforcement of several provisions of the Order.

We will provide further updates if new information becomes available.  The Department of State is committed to facilitating legitimate travel while ensuring the security of U.S. borders and the American people.

Additional information on the visa process can be found at travel.state.gov.

U.S. Embassy Released Ethiopia Travel Warning

The Government of Ethiopia has demonstrated its ability and willingness to restrict or shut down internet, cellular data, and phone services, impeding the U.S. Embassy’s ability to communicate with U.S. citizens in Ethiopia and limiting the Embassy’s ability to provide consular services. Additionally, the Government of Ethiopia does not inform the U.S. Embassy of detentions or arrests of U.S. citizens in Ethiopia.

Avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, continuously assess your surroundings, and evaluate your personal level of safety. Be aware that the government may use force and live fire in response to demonstrations, and that even gatherings intended to be peaceful can be met with a violent response or turn violent without warning. U.S. citizens in Ethiopia should monitor their security situation and have contingency plans in place in case you need to depart suddenly.

Given the unpredictable security situation, U.S. citizens in Ethiopia should have alternate communication plans in place, and let family and friends know that communication may be limited while you are in Ethiopia. The Department of State strongly advises U.S. citizens to register your mobile number with the U.S. Embassy to receive security information via text or SMS, in addition to enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

source: U.S. Embassy

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world, is expanding its operation in Ethiopia by adding two new hotels in Addis Ababa and in the nearby town of Bishoftu, previously known as  Debre Zeyit. The company has signed agreement to open a Radisson Blu in Bishoftu and the first Park Inn by Radisson in capital city, Addis Ababa. Carson already operates Raddisson Blu in Addis Ababa which opened in 2011.

Bishoftu is a popular MICE and leisure destination within Ethiopia. It is located 35km southeast of the country’s capital city, Addis Ababa. It is also within easy access of the country’s first international five-lane highway, leading from Addis Ababa to Djibouti. The hotel will be located on Lake Babogaya, which forms part of the region’s renowned five crater lakes.

“Radisson Blu Hotel, Bishoftu is a great addition to our Ethiopian portfolio as we expand outside of the capital city,” said Andrew McLachlan, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Africa & Indian Ocean for the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. “The hotel will be the first internationally branded hotel with the largest meeting and events center in Ethiopia, outside of Addis Ababa.”

The 152-room Radisson Blu hotel will have a restaurant and terrace, a specialty restaurant and a pool bar on the terrace, offering picturesque lake views. The 1,045 sqm meeting and events spaces will include a state-of-the-art ballroom and six contemporary meeting rooms. Radisson Blu Hotel, Bishoftu will also offer a luxurious spa and well-equipped gym.

The Park Inn hotel in Addis is perfectly located on a main road linking the airport, just 2.7km away, to the CBD of Africa’s capital city. Addis Ababa is referred to as “the political capital of Africa”, due to its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent. It is where the African Union hosts the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and numerous other continental and international organizations.

It also houses the third largest concentration of embassies in the world.

“We are delighted to bring our colorful midscale hotel brand to Ethiopia. The country has prepared a five-year strategic plan with a vision to become one of the top five African tourist destination countries in the coming years. With the addition of the Park Inn by Radisson Addis Ababa and our aggressive growth in this country, we will most certainly be positively contributing to achieving this goal,” added Younes.

The 160-room Park Inn by Radisson Addis Ababa will offer a mixture of standard rooms and suites. It will also feature Park Inn by Radisson’s signature all-day dining restaurant and lobby bar. The Smart Meetings and Events area will comprise of six modern and fully-equipped meeting rooms. For those seeking to keep fit or destress, the hotel will also feature a gym and spa.

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A cabin at Bale Mountain Lodge overlooks the mountains. (Bale Mountain Lodge)
Tim Johnson Special to the Star

BALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA-At first, it’s little more than a flash of fur, just a blot on the far side of the road, trotting hard and moving fast.

Its auburn coat standing out against the lunarlike landscape, the small animal pauses just for a moment, turns to face us, mouth set in what looks like a toothy grin, and eyes our Land Cruiser’s sleepy band of travellers. Then, in a moment, it dashes off before we can scramble for our cameras, running at a steady pace up and over a ridge, out of sight. By the time we spill clumsily out of the vehicle and walk with our sleep-stiffened joints across the frozen ground to where it once stood, that lone wolf is long gone.

I’ve just seen the Abyssinian red wolf — the world’s most endangered canine. With a habitat that’s now largely limited to the high plateau of Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park — a forbidding, otherworldly place some 4,000 metres above sea level — estimates vary on how many of these wolves remain, but everyone agrees it’s a few hundred, at most.

Cousins of both coyotes and jackals, some experts peg their population at fewer than 300, and dropping fast. I’m here to spot as many as possible, as well as a wide variety of other strange creatures that thrive in the rarefied air of this remote corner of Ethiopia.

With various ecosystems and altitudes packed into one park, the roughly 2,000-square-kilometre Bale Mountains National Park provides opportunities to view some of Africa’s most unusual animals, including the endemic big-headed mole rat, mongoose, jackal, honey badger, black-maned lion and the mountain-adapted leopard.

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Africa’s most successful carrier, Ethiopian Airlines has disclosed that it may partner Nigeria to establish the planned national carrier.

This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Tewolde Gebremariam.

Bloomberg reported that Gebremariam had started talks on the partnership with the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika on Tuesday at the Farborough Air Show in England.

The Ethiopia airlines CEO said he expected to face competition over the Nigerian project from Qatar Airways, which had been in long discussion with the federal government since 2016.

Ethiopian Airlines operates to five destinations in Nigeria which include Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu and Kaduna airports and it is a foreign airline that flies the highest number of frequencies in Nigeria.

Gebremarian had indicated interest in playing a role in the birth of a major airline in Nigeria.

Last year when Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) took over Arik Air, Ethiopia Airlines held initial talks with the federal government over the management of the airline, but backed out when signals became ambivalent from the Minister of State, according to inside airline sources.

On Tuesday Sirika said the national carrier committee, which he is heading has held discussions with major aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus at the Farnborough Air Show and would continue talks with other equipment suppliers for the airline that is billed to start operation in December.

Source: New Day

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By Nizar Manek – Bloomberg

• Disposals would be ahead of a potential stake sale in carrier
• New leader Abiy is opening nation up to foreign investors

Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise is emerging as the flag bearer of plans by Africa’s fastest-growing economy to open up to foreign investors after decades as a closed shop.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Photographer: Zacharias Abubeker/AFP via Getty Images)

While new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s ruling politburo has said a minority stake in the continent’s largest carrier could be up for grabs, Chief Executive Officer Tewolde GebreMariam now adds that related assets such as airports and a five-star hotel could also be sold off. That would give investors an opportunity to take ownership in businesses that were nationalized in the 1980s under the former Communist Derg regime.

Ethiopia needs about $7.5 billion to finish current infrastructure projects and is also battling foreign-exchange shortages, Abiy said earlier this month. The sale of airline-owned real estate may be easier and quicker than, for example, a privatization of the much coveted Ethio Telecom monopoly, which the Horn of Africa nation plans to split in two and sell down following two years of study. Railways, sugar mills and power-generation companies will also be considered for stake sales.

Read Also: Ethiopian Airlines and DHL Sign Joint Venture Deal

Below are a list of assets highlighted by Tewolde as ripe for disposal.

• Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
  • What will be the country’s largest hotel has five stars and is being built near the international airport in Addis Ababa
  • “The first stage of foreign participation will be the hotel,” said Tewolde
  • “We want expertise, capital in the hotel. We have finished first phase, but there will be second phase.”
  • Hoteliers with a strong Africa presence include Marriott International Inc., which has some executive apartments in Addis Ababa
  • Accor SA, Europe’s biggest hotel operator, has announced plans to expand on the continent; neither company responded to requests for comment
• Cargo Airline & Logistics Co.
  • Ethiopia is Africa’s second-biggest producer of flowers after Kenya and fourth-equal worldwide according to Rabobank research
  • Ethiopian Airlines owns a 150,000-square-meter (1.6 million-square-feet) cargo hub with capacity for 1 million metric tons of fresh produce a year
  • “Logistics is a sector with government or national concern” as Ethiopia focuses on producing industrial goods for export to the U.S. and Europe, Tewolde said
  • “We do not have global standards for logistics in Ethiopia today”
  • The division could be converted into a joint holding with Deutsche Post AG holding a 49 percent stake “within weeks”
• Ethiopian Airports Enterprise
  • The carrier owns 23 domestic airports, according to its website, from Addis Ababa to Arba Minch
  • Additionally, the airline develops and operates airport shopping centers, cafeterias, banking kiosks, internet services and parking facilities
• Aerospace Manufacturing
  • To extend Ethiopian’s Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Services, negotiations are under way with companies including Boeing Co., Airbus SE, Bombardier Inc and Safran SA, according to Tewolde.

Source: Bloomberg

Addis Ababa, September 25, 2018 (FBC) – The Ethiopian Airlines said that the passenger terminal, being built at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport has started providing service partially.

The passenger terminal is part of an expansion project being conducted to ease congestion at the existing terminal and properly serve the ever increasing passengers.

Up on going fully operational, the passenger terminal will have a capacity to accommodate 20 million passengers per year.

Transport Minister Siraj Fagessa and other stakeholders have visited the various expansion projects including a five star hotel being developed by the national flag carrier.

Speaking at the occasion, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewelde GebreMariam said that the expansion project has currently reached 83 percent.

The construction of the terminal is being underway in the east and west direction of the existing terminal, of which the one found in the eastern direction has commenced service, as its construction has completed.

The existing passenger terminal has a capacity to give service to five million passengers; however, it has been accommodating 11 million passengers, creating congestion.

Transport Minister Siraj Fagessa said that expansion of the terminal would help to enhance the country’s capacity in the sector and play pivotal role in the expansion of tourism.

He expressed his hope that the project will make the Ethiopian a more preferred airliner among customers as it will have up-to-date facilities.

The construction of the terminal, being conducted at a cost of 345 million USD is expected to fully operational after three months.

Source: ENA

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NAIROBI (Reuters) – Ethiopia has overtaken Dubai as a conduit for long-haul passengers to Africa, highlighting the success of the state airline’s expansion drive and the reforms of its new prime minister.

Travel consultancy ForwardKeys said on Wednesday Addis Ababa airport had increased the number of international transfer passengers to sub-Saharan Africa for five years in a row, and in 2018 had surpassed Dubai, one of the world’s busiest airports, as the transfer hub for long-haul travel to the region.

Analyzing data from travel booking systems that record 17 million flight bookings a day, ForwardKeys found the number of long-haul transfers to sub-Saharan Africa via Addis Ababa jumped by 85 percent from 2013 to 2017. Transfers via Dubai over the same period rose by 31 percent.

So far this year, Addis Ababa’s growth is 18 percent, versus 3 percent for Dubai.

Dubai has long been a major global air travel hub because it is the base of Gulf carrier Emirates. Given the lack of an “open skies” deal smoothing flights across Africa, many passengers traveling between one part of the continent and another, or from Asia or Europe to Africa, must often transit through Dubai.

But this is changing.

Ethiopian Airlines [ETHA.UL], the country’s most successful state company, is accelerating a 15-year strategy it launched in 2010 to win back market share on routes to and from Africa that are dominated by Turkish Airlines and Emirates.

It is also weaving a patchwork of new African routes to rapidly expanding and lucrative Asian markets.

ForwardKeys also attributed the recent jump in bookings via Addis Ababa in part to a positive international response to the broad reforms introduced by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in April and has upended politics in the Horn of Africa country of around 105 million people.

Click here to Read More on Reuters

Ethiopian Airlines on Wednesday (January 23) inaugurated the expanded Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and a hotel complex funded by the air operator.

Describing the airport as Africa’s biggest gateway to the world, Ethiopian said the facility: “has been expanded to triple in size and accomodate 22 million passengers annually.

“The newly expanded airport terminal has been renovated with amenities and high-tech systems of 21st century global airport hub with the view to avail best possible on-ground experience, including automated bag drop solutions, e-gates, self-check-in kiosks.”

Other features include improved baggage handling and latest technology security machines along with tilting tray sorter systems.

The Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, a 5-star facility funded by airline officially becomes the biggest such facility in the capital. It is a stone throw from the airport and has 373 rooms.

It has 27 presidential and executive suites, four restaurants and a conference and banquet hall that can seat 2000 people at a time. It has other meeting rooms, a gym, pool, gift shops and other facilities.

The rise and rise of Ethiopian has made it the continent’s biggest national carrier with routes continually expanding across the globe. The successes have propelled the Bole International Airport into Africa’s biggest hub.

China orders its airlines to suspend use of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s aviation regulator said on Monday it had ordered Chinese airlines to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 p.m. (5.00 a.m. ET) following a deadly crash of one of the planes in Ethiopia.

An Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after take-off on Sunday, killing all 157 people on board.

It was the second crash of the 737 MAX, the latest version of Boeing’s workhorse narrowbody jet that first entered service in 2017.

In October, a 737 MAX 8 operated by Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air crashed 13 minutes after take-off from Jakarta on a domestic flight, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said in a statement it would notify airlines as to when they could resume flying the jets after contacting Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure flight safety.

“Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737-8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity,” the CAAC said, adding that the order was in line with its principle of zero-tolerance on safety harzards. The 737 MAX 8 is sometimes referred to as the 737-8.

The cause of the Indonesian crash is still being investigated. A preliminary report issued in November, before the cockpit voice recorder was recovered, focused on airline maintenance and training and the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor but did not give a reason for the crash.

Chinese airlines have 96 737 MAX jets in service, the state company regulator said on Weibo.

Caijing, a Chinese state-run news outlet that covers finance and economics, said many flights scheduled to use 737 MAX planes would instead use the 737-800 models.

A Boeing spokesman declined to comment.

A U.S. official told Reuters the United States was unsure of what information China was acting on.

The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said there were no plans to follow suit given the 737 MAX had a stellar safety record in the United States and there was a lack of information about the cause of the Ethiopian crash. Read More on Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airlines-china-idUSKBN1QS01Z

THIS PAGE IS UPDATING LIVE WITH NEW INFORMATION

Passengers from more than 30 countries were on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi that crashed on Sunday, killing 157 people.

Among the victims were 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians and seven Britons, according to a passenger list from the doomed flight published by Ethiopian officials.

Nineteen United Nations staff members were among those killed, the UN said.

Here’s a list of the victims and what is known about some of the victims.

THIS PAGE IS UPDATING WITH NEW INFORMATION

(Please check back for new information)

Hussein Swaleh, a former Kenyan football administrator, also died in the crash, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed to the BBC.

The head of Kenya’s football federation tweeted that it was a “sad day for football”.

Mr Swaleh was reportedly returning home after officiating in a CAF Champions League match in Alexandria, Egypt, the CAF said in a statement.

Hussein Swaleh Mtetu is among the 32 Kenyans who perished on Sunday 10 March

 

Dr. Grace Kariuki 

Until her death, Dr. Kariuki was working at the Ministry of Health’s Division for Non-Communicable Diseases.

“KMPDU wishes to deeply condole with the family, friends and colleagues of Dr. Grace M. Kariuki even as we join in mourning all the victims of the ill-fated plane. Her loss is a great loss to the medical community in Kenya,” said Dr. Oluga.

Dr. Grace Kariuki was reportedly returning back home from a cancer-related training in Egypt.

Isabella Beryl Achie Jaboma Ms Jaboma, who hails from Homa Bay County, was travelling home after attending a health conference in Egypt, her family said.

She works for an NGO that promotes treatment of cancer among children.

Isabella Beryl Achie Jaboma

Ms Florence Wangari Yongi. Sister Yongi was a Catholi nun and was travelling home from Kisangani, Congo where she worked as a missionary for three-and-half years.

Her father said she was coming to renew her passport.

Ms Florence Wangari Yongi

A couple, Mr Jared Babu Mwazo and Mercy Ngami Ndivo, died in the Ethiopian plane crash.

This image was posted on Twitter by Ms Lydia Wangechi @Lydia_Wangwang. PHOTO | COURTESY

• Ms Stella Osebe Konarska.
•  Ms Jane Njeri Kamau.
•  Mr Siit Abdallah Mohamed.
• Mr George Mukua Kageche.
•  Ms Carolyne N Karanja.
•  Ryan Njoroge Njuguna.
•  Ms Ann Wangui Karanja.
•  Mr Bernard Mutua.
•  Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Abdulhai.
•  Ms Julia Mwashi.
•  Mrs Anne Bogoi Birundu.
• Mrs Helen Waithira Ebewele.
•  Mr George Kabau.
•  Mr Swaleh Mtetu Hussein.
• Ms Immaculate Achieng Odero.
• Mr Joseph Waithaka. Mr Waithaka moved to the UK about 15 years ago but returned to Kenya in 2015. He was returning home after visiting his family in Hull City.
• Ms Anne Mukoi Musyoki.
• Mr Benson Maina Gathu.
• Mr Rogony Kipngetich.

Danielle Moore, a 24-year-old woman who grew up in Toronto and worked in Winnipeg at the charity Canada Learning Code, was also killed.

Moore was among a group headed to a United Nations environmental conference.

From left: Derick Lwugi from Calgary, Carlton University professor Pius Adesanmi and Danielle Moore from Winnipeg are among the 18 Canadians killed in Sunday’s plane crash in Ethiopia. (Facebook via Canadian Press, Josh Hotz/Carleton University/Associated Press, Facebook)

Edmonton resident Amina Ibrahim Odowa, 33, and her five-year-old daughter Sofia Abdulkadir were also killed, a family member confirmed to CBC News. Odowa leaves behind two daughters, ages seven and three.

Amina Ibrahim Odowa, 33, and her five-year-old daughter Sofia Abdulkadir killed in the accident

Peter DeMarsh of Taymouth, N.B., was also killed, according to a post on the Facebook account of Helen DeMarsh.

DeMarsh was chair of the International Family Forestry Alliance and of the Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners.

“Our circle was broken today with the sudden tragic loss of my beloved brother Peter on the Ethiopian Airlines crash this morning,” his sister wrote on Facebook. “He was profoundly dear to me, I looked up to him and I will miss him every day for the rest of my life. Just days ago he met me at the airport with the biggest hug and warmest welcome.

Jessica Hyba: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees says one of its Canadian-born employees was among the victims of the deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane.

The UNHCR has identified Jessica Hyba, who was working as the organization’s senior external relations officer.

Jessica Hyba

Ethiopia — 9

Senior Capt Yared Mulugeta Gatechew, who was of Kenyan and Ethiopian heritage, was the main pilot on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
He had been working for the airline since November 2007.
He had a “commendable performance” with more than 8,000 hours in the air, the company said.

Senior Capt Yared Mulugeta Gatechew, who was of Kenyan and Ethiopian heritage, was the main pilot on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. He had been working for the airline since November 2007

A first officer, Hamza Jemal, said Ahmed had been going to Nairobi to pursue a business venture and had managed to rearrange his schedule to be on the flight.

Ayantu Girmaye, 24 year old Debre Tabor University graduate who has been with Ethiopian Airlines since 2017.

Sara Gebre Michael, the lead cabin attendant on the plane, was a caring mother who would be sorely missed, said neighbour Tesfaye Mamo, an Ethiopian artist.

Michael is survived by her husband and three children.

Italy — 8

Paolo Dieci, a founder of an Italian aid group  that partners with Unicef in northern Africa who worked with the International Committee for the Development of Peoples, a nongovernmental organization that seeks to end poverty across the globe.

Virginia Chimenti 

Maria Pilar Buzzetti  around 30, had been with the WFP for almost four years as a consultant and office assistant. Speaking to Italian newspaper Il Messagero, Buzzetti’s mother said her daughter usually called her upon arrival, and she immediately sensed that something was wrong when there was no call on Sunday.

Sebastian Tusa, a councilor of cultural heritage from Sicily. Mr. Tusa was traveling to Malindi, Kenya, to attend a Unesco conference on safeguarding underwater cultural heritage in Eastern Africa.

Three Italians working with humanitarian agency Africa Tremila — treasurer Matteo Ravasio, Carlo Spini and his wife Gabriella Viggiani — were also killed.

 

USA — 8

Mucaad Hussein, also known as Siraaj Mu’aad, of St. Cloud was on his way to visit relatives in Kenya when the plane went down.

Friends say Hussein was in his early 30s and had come to Minnesota in the 12th grade from Ethiopia. He became a U.S. citizen, graduated from Apollo High School in St. Cloud and then studied at both St. Cloud Technical College and St. Cloud State.

France — 7

Karim Saafi, 38, a dynamic young French-Tunisian, civil society activist in Europe and Africa, and traveling with a French passport, was one of the 157 victims deplored.

 

UK — 7

Joanna Toole, a 36-year-old from Exmouth, Devon, was heading to Nairobi to attend the UN Environment Assembly when she was killed. Two days before she boarded the flight tweeted that she was happy to be among an increasing number of women working for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Her father, Adrian, described her as a “very soft and loving” woman whose “work was not a job – it was her vocation”.

“It’s just tragic that she couldn’t carry on to further her career and achieve more,” he told the BBC.

Joanna Toole (Twitter)

 

Sarah Auffret, 30 who was also a passenger on Ethiopian Airlines’ new Boeing 737 MAX. Auffret worked for the organization AECO that works to promote more sustainable cruise tourism in the Arctic. Auffret, age 30, was especially working to reduce the use of plastics on board cruiseships, and was on her way to a climate conference in Nairobi.

Egypt — 6

Egypt’s Agriculture Ministry said three of its researchers died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

It said in a statement Monday that Ashraf Turki, Doaa Abdel-Salam and Abdel-Hamid Megali were heading to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to attend a scientific gathering on genetic improvement of animal and plant production.

Both El Farag and Atef were researchers at the Desert Research Center for Environmental Studies; they were on their way to a training workshop in Kenya.

Both victims were assistant researchers. El Farag, 27, was stationed in the Cairo center while Atef, who obtained her Master’s degree in 2018, was in the Behooth center and was also a teaching assistant at a university. ( Source: EgyptianStreets)

Ethiopian Airlines Crash Egyptian Victims

ASHRAF TORKY  Dr. Torky was Head of Classification at the Plant Protection Institute of the Agricultural Research Center. He was pertaining in the same workshop as El Farag and Atef.

SUSANNE ABUL FARAG and ESMAT ARENSA

Both ladies were professional interpreters. According to Almarsad, Abul Farag and Aransa worked as translators with the African Union in Adis Ababa and were en route to Nairobi for work related reasons.

SUSANNE ABUL FARAG and ESMAT ARENSA
worked as translators with the African Union in Adis Ababa (Source: egyptianstreets.com)

Germany — 5

— The U.N. migration agency said that one of its staffers, German citizen Anne-Katrin Feigl, was en route to a training course in Nairobi.

— The Rev. Norman Tendis was a long-time pastor in the protestant congregation of St. Ruprecht in Villach, Austria. The World Council of Churches said Monday that he was traveling to the U.N. environment summit in Nairobi.

The 51-year-old is survived by his wife and three daughters.

— The German development aid organization GIZ said one of its staff was also on the plane. GIZ spokeswoman Tanja Stumpff said the woman was on a business trip. She declined to provide further details, citing privacy reasons.

India — 4

Indian citizen Shikha Garg, a consultant with India’s Environment Ministry working with the U.N. Development Program. She, too, was flying to attend the environment conference.

 

Slovakia — 4

Slovakian lawmaker Anton Hrnko said on Facebook that his wife, Blanka, son Martin and daughter Michala were among the victims.

A lawmaker of the Slovak Parliament said his wife, daughter and son were killed in the crash. Anton Hrnko, a legislator for the ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party, said he was “in deep grief” over the deaths of his wife, Blanka; son, Martin; and daughter, Michala. Their ages weren’t immediately available.

Martin Hrnko worked for the Bubo travel agency and was traveling on vacation to Kenya, the agency said.

Austria — 3

—Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Peter Guschelbauer confirmed that three Austrian doctors in their early 30s were on board the flight. The men were on their way to Zanzibar, he said, but he could not confirm the purpose of their trip.

Russia — 3

The Russian Embassy in Ethiopia tweeted the names of three Russian citizens who were on the plane: Ekaterina Polyakova, Aleksandr Polyakov and Sergey Vyalikov.

Russian news reports identified Polyakova and Polyakov as a married couple. State news agency RIA-Novosibirsk said the three were visiting Africa as tourists.

Sweden — 3

— Hospitality company Tamarind Group announced “with immense shock and grief” that its chief executive, Jonathan Seex, was among the fatalities.

— The Stockholm-based Civil Rights Defenders, an international human rights group, said employee Josefin Ekermann, 30, was on board the plane. Ekermann, who worked to support human rights defenders, was on her way to meet Kenyan partner organizations. The group’s executive director, Anders L. Pettersson, says “Josefin was a highly appreciated and respected colleague.”

— The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency said a “longtime and highly appreciated colleague” was killed. It said it wouldn’t publish the person’s name.

Israel — 2

Morocco — 2

— Ahmed Chihab, an official in the government’s environment department, and

Professor El Hassan Sayouti of Hassan II University of Casablanca planned to be part of Morocco’s delegations at the United Nations meeting in Nairobi, according to Prime Minister Saad-Eddine El Othmani. The government did not provide more information about the two men.

Poland — 2

— Poland’s Foreign Ministry says one of the Polish victims was a longtime employee of the ministry who worked at the Polish Embassy in Cairo and was on a job assignment. The other victim was a minor with dual Polish and Kenyan citizenship.

Spain — 2

Jordi Dalmau Sayol, 46, was a Catalan chemical engineer who was on a business trip. He was working for a water infrastructure company that was awarded a water desalination project in Kenya, according to the Spanish daily La Vanguardia. Mr. Dalmau’s death was confirmed by his company, as well as by Elsa Artadi, the spokeswoman for the regional government of Catalonia, in northeastern Spain.

Pilar Martínez Docampo, 32, worked for an aid organization and was traveling to Kenya to give language classes to children there, according to La Opinión, a local newspaper in her home region of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The authorities in her hometown, Cangas do Morrazo, confirmed her death and decreed three days of mourning.

Belgium — 1

Djibouti — 1

Indonesia — 1

Ireland — 1

Michael Ryan 39, had worked as an engineer with the World Food Programme on projects in the developing world.

Mr Ryan, 39, had worked as an engineer with the World Food Programme on projects in the developing world.

Irishman Michael Ryan was among seven people from the United Nations’ World Food Program who were killed.Irish premier Leo Varadkar said: “Michael was doing life-changing work in Africa with the World Food Program.”

 

Mozambique — 1

Norway — 1

Karoline Aadland, who worked for the aid organization’s international division, was on the flight that crashed between Addis Abeba and Nairobi. The 28-year-old woman was on her way to meet Red Cross partners in Burundi, according to the Norwegian Red Cross’ secretary general Bernt G Apeland.

 

Rwanda — 1

Jackson Musoni, 31, had worked since late 2017 as associate field coordinator for the U.N. refugee agency in Sudan’s East Darfur region. He joined the agency in Rwanda in 2014 and previously worked for the Rwandan foreign ministry. He leaves behind a family including three children aged 8, 5 and 4.

 

Saudi Arabia– 1

Sudan — 1

Somalia — 1

Serbia — 1

Djordje Vdovic of Serbia, who worked at the World Food Program, was also killed. A Serbian state news agency said .

Togo — 1

Another incredible African scholar lost on the Ethiopian Airlines flight: Kodjo Glato, a young Togolese crop scientist with a passion for sweet potatoes and how they could be used to improve food security in West Africa. He had an NGO called “Farmers Without Borders.”

Uganda — 1

Yemen — 1

Nepal — 1

Nigeria — 1

Ambassador Abiodun Bashua, a retired Nigerian foreign service officer died in the crash, the Nigerian presidency and government confirmed.

Ambassador Abiodun Bashua was a retired Nigerian Foreign Service Officer who worked for UNAMID and the United Nations office to African Union.

One passenger was traveling on a UN passport.

 

 

 

The Wall Street Journal: Boeing 737 Max Stall-Prevention system Activated before Ethiopian Airlines Crashed, Preliminary findings show.
The emerging consensus is the strongest indication yet that the same MCAS system misfired in the fatal Ethiopian and Indonesian flights

Officials investigating the fatal crash of a Boeing Co.737 MAX in Ethiopia have reached a preliminary conclusion that a suspect flight-control feature automatically activated before the plane nose-dived into the ground, according to people briefed on the matter, the first findings based on data retrieved from the flight’s black boxes.

The emerging consensus among investigators, one of these people said, was relayed during a high-level briefing at the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday, and is the strongest indication yet that the same automated system, called MCAS, misfired in both the Ethiopian Airlines flight earlier this month and a Lion Air flight in Indonesia, which crashed less than five months earlier. The two crashes claimed 346 lives.
The preliminary finding from the “black box” recorders of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 is subject to revisions, according to the people briefed on the matter. U.S. government air-safety experts have been analyzing details gathered from Ethiopian investigators for the past few days, according to one of the people. A preliminary report from Ethiopian authorities is expected within days.

Investigators have been homing in on the MCAS as a potential cause in both of the recent crashes. Ethiopia’s Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges previously said earlier readings from black-box data showed “clear similarities were noted” between both fatal flights.

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Earlier this week, federal transportation officials during hearings defended the government’s response to the two crashes, even as questions grew about how the jet was certified for commercial use. Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell told a Senate panel that there had been no flight tests of the 737 MAX to gauge how pilots would react in the event that a malfunctioning sensor triggered the automated system.

In the Lion Air crash, the new stall-prevention system, based on erroneous sensor information, repeatedly pushed the plane’s nose down and, according to the preliminary report, the pilot battled the flight controls while facing a cacophony of alarms before losing control and plunging into the Java Sea.

Boeing on Wednesday outlined its planned overhaul of the MCAS system to make it less aggressive and more controllable by pilots. The changes include an added layer of protection: Instead of relying on a single sensor indicating the angle of the plane’s nose, MCAS will rely on data from both of the plane’s sensors. As part of the fix, the FAA also will mandate certain cockpit alerts about incorrect sensor data.

While Boeing has noted investigators haven’t reached final conclusions about what caused either crash, Mike Sinnett, vice president of product strategy, said Wednesday the plane maker had “complete confidence that the changes we’re making would address any of these accidents.”

Roddy Guthrie, the 737 fleet captain for American Airlines Group Inc., said that with the MCAS fix, “They’ve put some checks and balances in the system now that will make the system much better.”

However, Boeing’s 737 MAX will remain grounded around the world until the FAA and other aviation regulators certify the software fix and crews are trained on the revised system. That process could stretch for months in some countries, regulators and safety officials have said.

source: Wall Street Journal

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport Sees Record Upsurge in Number of Passengers

A record number of international passengers are traveling through Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, the major gateway into Africa, this summer. Wednesday, July 17, 2019 was one of the busiest days for the Airport with 310 flights and 29,528 travelers (21,028 departing and 8,500 arriving passengers, respectively) which marked a record number of daily passengers served at the terminal.

Commenting on the Airport’s preparedness for the peak season, Mr Getaneh Adera, Director of Bole International Airport and Acting CEO of Ethiopian Airports said, “With the partial opening of the new terminal which will more than double the capacity of the airport, we are very excited to serve record number of passengers in this summer.”

As the home base of Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest flag-carrier serving over 120 cities around the world, Addis Ababa has turned into a bustling hub handling hundreds of flights each day. The Airport has seen a major expansion recently which will boost its capacity to cater to 22 million passengers annually.

Upon going fully operational, the expanded terminal will feature state-of-the-art airport facilities, elegant and spacious check-in, arrival and departure halls, various duty-free shops, restaurants, and many other accommodations, taking the entire passengers’ experience to a whole new level.

It is to be recalled that last year Addis Ababa surpassed Dubai as the top transit hub for long-haul passengers into Africa.

Source: #EthiopianAirlines

Travel Guide publisher Rough Guides names Ethiopia’s Lalibela as one the “100 Best Places on Earth – the Ultimate Travel Bucket List”. Rough Guides’ new book reveals 100 of the most extraordinary places to visit in the world – the ultimate travel bucket list, which is to be published on 1st September.

Rough Guide writes, “An enigmatic and utterly beguiling country, Ethiopia has endless intrigue. From its unique, highly sociable cuisine – the basis of which is injera, a spongy sourdough pancake, piled high with piquant curries and stews and shared between friends – to its ancient language and curly Amharic script, there’s very little that’s familiar about this place, and your trip will be all the better for it.

Ethiopia is a largely Orthodox Christian country, and its religious festivals and structures are something to behold. The sunken churches of Lalibela, hand-carved out of the red rock below ground some nine hundred years ago, are an astonishing feat of engineering. Come January, the network of tunnels and staircases that connect all eleven churches fill up with thousands of worshippers dressed in white, celebrating the birth of Christ with a twelve-hour mass.”

You can see the preview here

Source

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