Ethiopian Air to add Manchester in extension of Brussels flights

Ethiopian Airlines will start serving Manchester in northern England from December, adding a second UK destination months before Britain is due to quit the EU and 45 years after the carrier began flying to London Heathrow. The service from Addis Ababa will operate four times weekly using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet in a two-class layout, initially as an extension of the carrier’s existing Brussels route, Ethiopian Air said Monday. Ethiopian has developed a network that links 67 major global cities with almost 60 African destinations via its hub in the capital. About 400,000 people living within a two-hour drive of Manchester currently travel to Africa each year, according to the airport. Tewolde GebreMariam, the airline’s CEO, said that the initial flights are being tacked on to the Brussels route in order to test the market and that direct services should begin some time next year.<br/>