In a year marred by challenges including a plane crash in March that killed 157 people, Ethiopian Airlines Group recorded an increase in profit after flying more passengers. Profit at Africa’s largest airline jumped 18% in the year through June, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said in a televised speech on Tuesday, without giving figures. The airline reported profit of $233m in 2017-18, according to Fana Broadcasting Corp. The most profitable airline on the continent overcame rising fuel costs and a slowdown of the global economy with a 14% increase in the number of passengers, Gebremariam said in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. “It was a challenging year, but you don’t test our strength only during the good times but in challenging times too,” he said. The trade war between the US and China is a concern as the two countries are the airline’s top markets. “Though we haven’t seen a reduction in passenger numbers, there has been a reduction in cargo, this has us worried,” Gebremariam said. Ethiopian expects to receive 25 more planes this year, bringing its fleet to 144 jets, Gebremariam said. The new aircraft will aid in adding 11 routes, expanding the airlines destinations to 123 in the new year. A crash on March 10 led to the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max jets, which were part of Ethiopian’s growth strategy. That has complicated purchasing decisions for new craft, he said. Ethiopian is laying down a new expansion strategy for the next 15 years after achieving its so-called Vision 2025 seven years ahead of time. It’s already bagged joint ventures in Malawi, Chad and Zambia, and has a subsidiary in Mozambique. The carrier is also in talks to start airlines in Ghana and Nigeria.<br/>
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Ethiopian Airlines has begun installing the latest broadband Ka-band satellite technology on board its 12 Airbus A350 XWBs with plans to expand the inflight Wi-Fi internet service to other long-haul aircraft including the Boeing 787 or 777. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said, “The launch of onboard Wi-Fi internet is part of our relentless efforts to further add to passengers’ comfort keeping pace with the technology of the day, taking advantage of emerging technologies and infrastructure.” Passengers will be able to access the inflight connectivity service by purchasing vouchers at Ethiopian sales outlets that include the Addis Ababa International Airport customer service desk, boarding gates and onboard flights. Other options include online sales through credit/debit cards and ShebaMiles memberships. The inflight Wi-Fi can be accessed using smartphones, tablets and laptops.<br/>