Ethiopian Airlines is arguably one of Africa's best recent success stories. There just is no stopping this dynamic airline. As a country Ethiopia was recently voted the world's most welcoming country by the renowned Rough Guides travel guide and this is partly due to the introduction of online visas. (Read the full Rough Guides review on: https://www.roughguides.com/article/the-worlds-most-welcoming-countries-as-voted-by-you/). The Ethiopian Immigration and Nationality Affairs Department, in collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines, have finalized preparations of the initial phase to commence an e-visa service for international visitors to Ethiopia. This took effect last month.

The e-visa is processed and issued on a single web page where applicants apply, pay and secure their entry visa online. Once the online application is approved, applicants will receive an email authorizing them to travel to Ethiopia and they will get their passport stamped with the visa upon arrival in Addis Ababa. Moreover, separate counters have been set up to process the visas of travelers under electronic travel authorization.

Regarding the new service, Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam remarked, "Ethiopia, the oldest independent civilization in Africa and one of the oldest in the world, is endowed with historical places, natural beauty, colorful and diverse cultural activities and various endemic wild animals which are of great interest to international tourists. However; we have not made best use of these natural resources to attract large number of tourists. To this effect, this project is part of a new national initiative to transform the tourism sector in the country. The full commencement of the online visa application and issuance system will promote tourism, trade and investment to the country. It will save time, energy and cost for travelers to Ethiopia in addition to the simplicity and convenience that it facilitates. With direct flights to/from more than 95 destinations from all corners of the world, operated by the most modern airplanes, we will continue to make travel to Ethiopia, dependable, easy, convenient and affordable. I take this opportunity to thank our IT team and our colleagues at the Main Department for Immigration & Nationality Affairs for the commendable collaboration and job well done."

To get your e-visa click here: https://www.evisa.gov.et/#/home

It is clear that Ethiopia and its national airline are in sync when it comes working together to promote the country as well as keeping the airline profitable by striving for excellence. So it's no wonder that Ethiopian Airlines won the Skytrax World Airline Award for Best Airline in Africa last month at the Paris Air Show. Skytrax is the most respected global air transport rating organization that conducts the world's largest annual airline passenger satisfaction survey where customers make their own personal choices as to which airline they consider to be the best.

While receiving the award, GebreMariam, remarked, "We are thrilled that Skytrax, the most reputed global airline rating organization, has honored Ethiopian Airlines with The Best Airline in Africa award. I am very happy that Ethiopian has won the award as the Best Airline in Africa based on customer survey. This is a very strong testimony that in line with our vision 2025, our heavy investment in customer service, Human Resource Development, modern fleet, infrastructure and ICT has resulted in the desired customer delight which is expressed by the strong vote of confidence in the global survey. It will motivate us to continue to invest time, energy and money on the four pillars of our vision 2025 with sharp focus in customer service across the value chain. I would like to thank Skytrax for this recognition and our valued customers for their strong vote of confidence. As always, we shall continue to work hard to exceed your expectations and provide you the best possible travel experience every time you fly with us. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleagues at Ethiopian for their exceptional commitment and hard work to keep our airline flying high in the skies." Ethiopian Airlines is a multi-award winning airline and has previously received Skytrax World Airline Award for Best Airline Staff in Africa twice.

About Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing airline in Africa. In its seven decades of operation, Ethiopian Airlines has become one of the continent's leading carriers, unrivaled in efficiency and operational success. It commands the lion's share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 95 international destinations across five continents. The Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. The airline is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with seven business centers: Ethiopian Domestic and Regional Airline, Ethiopian International Passenger Airline, Ethiopian Cargo, Ethiopian MRO, Ethiopian Aviation Academy, Ethiopian In-flight Catering Services, and Ethiopian Ground Service. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25 percent in the past seven years.

Go to https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/AA/EN