ADDIS ABABA–Ethiopian Airlines will begin operations to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), in Houston, TX, in the summer of 2019, per press releases from the Airlines as well as Houston Airport System.
As part of a restructuring of its U.S. routes, Ethiopian Airlines will offer direct flights to a to-be-determined West Africa destination three times per week from Bush Airport. The flights to Houston replace the current routes to Los Angeles and Ethiopian Airlines cited the “travel of the huge African community in the Houston area, and oil and other companies doing business in the continent,” as motive for the decision.
“Finding the right partner and strengthening our connection with Africa was one of our primary goals in continuing the growth in international travel to the Houston market, and we are excited to partner with Ethiopian Airlines to make that happen,” said Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz. “A big part of being a 4-star rated airport is international connectivity and adding a 4-star airline to Bush Airport strengthens the commitment to that level of service.”
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Ethiopian Airlines becomes the 21st foreign flag carrier offering passenger flights out of Bush Airport. For a complete list of international carriers at Bush Airport, check this link.
As well, Ethiopian Airlines announced an increase in flights to Washington D.C., Chicago, New York and Newark. The new U.S. network is aimed at giving passengers traveling between the U.S. and all over Africa the best possible connectivity and shortest routes, whether they are traveling for leisure, business or government work.
“The U.S. is among our most important markets owing to the presence of a large African community and growing business and tourism ties with Africa,” said Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. “Our new route structure with additional frequencies to multiple gateways and the opening of new route to Houston are aimed at responding to the market demand and availing best possible connectivity to over 60 African destinations.
“Onboard our flights, our customers will continue to enjoy our premium and award-winning service on the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft, the Boeing 787. In line with our Vision 2025 strategic roadmap, we will keep on expanding our U.S. and African network so as to facilitate people-to-people ties and the flow of investment, trade and tourism.”
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Houston is 23 miles (37 km) north of downtown Houston, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the fourth most populous city in the U.S. It is located between Interstate 45 and interestate 69 / U.S Highway 59, inside the Houston city limits in the Aldine area, and is adjacent to Humble.
The airport has flights to parts of the United States, as well as to Canada, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In 2017, George Bush Intercontinental Airport handled 41,506,035 passengers in terms of passenger traffic, making the airport one of the top 50 busiest airport worlwide and among the 10 busiest airports in the North America.
Source: Houston Airport System