Ethiopian Airlines has added another international recognition to its growing awards list after Athens International Airport recognised the carrier as the “Fastest Growing Airline (Africa)” in the Greek market, strengthening its position as Africa’s most visible global airline brand.
The recognition highlights Ethiopian Airlines’ expanding presence between Africa and Europe, where the airline continues to use Addis Ababa as a major connecting hub for passengers moving across the continent, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. For the Greek market, the award signals growing passenger demand and stronger route performance at a time when African carriers are competing for greater visibility in international aviation.
The Greece recognition comes shortly after Ethiopian Airlines won the 2026 APEX Passenger Choice Award for Best Airline in Africa, an award based on verified passenger feedback. APEX said the results were drawn from more than one million verified flight ratings collected through TripIt across more than 600 airlines worldwide, making the recognition a direct reflection of the passenger experience rather than an internal industry assessment.
That timing matters. Within a short period, Ethiopian Airlines has secured recognition both for passenger experience and market growth, two indicators that speak to different strengths. The APEX award reflects service quality, onboard comfort, operational reliability, and customer confidence, while the Athens recognition points to commercial expansion and rising demand in a specific European market.
Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Mesfin Tasew said the APEX recognition was particularly important because passengers themselves shaped the outcome. He noted that the award reflected the work of staff across the airline’s global network and would push the carrier to keep improving its standards.
The airline’s recent performance explains why these awards are gaining attention. Ethiopian Airlines has built one of Africa’s most extensive networks, operating to more than 160 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Its fleet includes aircraft such as the Boeing 787, Boeing 777, Airbus A350 and De Havilland Q400, supporting both long-haul expansion and regional connectivity.
The carrier has also continued to grow in traffic and revenue. Reuters reported that Ethiopian Airlines’ annual revenue rose to $7.6 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, supported by higher passenger numbers and new routes. Passenger traffic increased to 19 million, even as conflicts in Sudan, the Middle East and the Democratic Republic of Congo created operational pressure across parts of its network.
Ethiopian’s long-term strategy extends beyond route expansion. The airline has pursued a multi-hub approach across Africa through partnerships in Togo, Malawi, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This model allows it to strengthen intra-African connectivity while feeding traffic into its main Addis Ababa hub.
Ethiopian Airlines is also backing its growth with major infrastructure plans. Ethiopia has started work on a $12.5 billion airport project near Bishoftu, which officials expect to become Africa’s largest airport once completed. The planned facility will feature four runways, parking for 270 aircraft and capacity for 110 million passengers annually, giving Ethiopian Airlines room to expand far beyond the limits of Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The latest Ethiopian Airlines Greece award, therefore, lands within a wider growth story. The airline is not only winning recognition for service quality, but also building the network, fleet, partnerships and infrastructure needed to compete beyond the continent.
For African aviation, Ethiopian Airlines’ continued rise carries a broader message. A carrier built and anchored on the continent can compete in global markets when it combines scale, disciplined operations, passenger confidence and long-term investment. That is why each award now reads less like an isolated achievement and more like evidence of an African aviation model that keeps gaining ground.
