Ethiopian Airlines woos the corporate traveller with two new incentive schemes

Ethiopian Airlines woos the corporate traveller with two new incentive schemes

Ethiopian Airlines is enhancing its offering to the UK business travel market with an improved business class product and the introduction of two new programmes designed to win loyalty among corporates and individual business travellers flying with the airline on business.

UK business travellers who regularly fly with Ethiopian are invited to join the new ‘’Corporate Bonus Program’’. Through this scheme both the business and employee, will benefit every time an employee of the company travels. When an employee who is a member of Ethiopian’s frequent flyer programme (ShebaMiles) travels with Ethiopian they will accrue 100% of the miles associated with their route. Companies that have opened a Corporate Bonus Account will also earn additional miles. These bonus miles will be calculated in relation to the frequency of the company’s travel with the airline.

Miles that are earned can be redeemed for flight tickets or upgrades (subject to the miles requirements of the programme).

In addition to the new Corporate Bonus Programme Ethiopian is also introducing a new "Corporate Incentive Programme". This will offer incentives in the form of upfront discounts or cash incentives at the end of the deal or in the form of complimentary tickets. With both schemes businesses can continue to have their travel needs managed through their own dedicated travel management companies.

Business passengers can also make the most of priority and online check-in, extra baggage allowance, fast track through security where available and full lounge facilities at a selection of airports globally. For those departing from Addis Ababa Ethiopian’s inflight catering provides authentic Ethiopian cuisine in addition to the regular inflight meals providing executive passengers with a taste of genuine Ethiopian hospitality. For executives needing to travel between Addis Ababa, Dublin and Los Angeles, a new route serving these destinations, three times weekly, commences in June. Addis Ababa serves as a hub for over fifty African destinations so connecting the west coast of the USA, with the continent of Africa.

Green light for largest air cargo terminal in Africa

Green light for largest air cargo terminal in Africa

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline in Africa, has ordered the German company Unitechnik Systems GmbH from Wiehl to make plans for an air cargo terminal in the Ethiopian Addis Abeba. "It will be the largest Air Cargo overhaul site in Africa," said Unitechnik director Wolfgang Cieplik to the German online logistics magazine 'Logistic Heute'.

The airline is investing around 32 million Euro in the project. According to Cieplik around 600,000 tonnes of fresh and dried products will be overhauled in Addis Abeba annually in the future.

Publication date: 2/24/2015

Song of the day "Glory"!

Ethiopian won! ኢትዮጵያ ቶክዮ ላይ አሽነፈች

Ethiopia’s Endeshaw Negesse held off world and Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda to win Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon, part of the six-race World Marathon Majors series.

The 26-year-old Negesse took the tape in 2 hours, 6 minutes flat ahead of Kiprotich (2:06:33) and defending champion and race record-holder Dickson Chumba of Kenya, who came in third (2:06:34).

Negesse’s compatriot Birhane Dibaba won the women’s competition in 2:23:15, capping the first men-women sweep by any nation in race history.

Masato Imai was Japan’s highest men’s finisher at seventh (2:07:39) in a strong field including Kiprotich and five runners who have cracked the 2:05 barrier.

“I think it was a good race but a bit windy,” Negesse said. “I had hoped for a faster time but wasn’t possible given the conditions.

“There were many good runners in the field with fast times from big meets like the Olympics and the world championships. But I didn’t lose any sleep over it.

“I knew if I put in the work and ran the race I’m capable of running, I was good enough to win it.”

Negesse failed to match Chumba’s record from last year by 18 seconds, but his time was still his second best after a 2:04:52 at the Dubai Marathon in January 2013.

But after Dubai, Negesse, who dropped out of school in 2012 to run professionally, injured his left leg and didn’t enter another marathon until Dusseldorf in April last year.

Now that he’s won his second marathon, Negesse’s goal is to challenge the world record of 2:02:57 held by Kenya’s Dennis Kimetto.

“That is a dream of mine,” Negesse said, referring to the only sub-2:03 time in history. “I’m not saying I will do it in my next race, but it is a big goal of mine to eventually do it.

“I spent almost four months getting ready for this race. I won today because I trained hard and worked to overcome an injury that kept me out a while.

“I’m very happy to have won this race because to win a majors race, you need a combination of talent, strength and the will to work hard.”

Chumba was in the lead as late as the 38-km mark, but faded after feeling pain in his stomach. By 40 km, Negesse had seven seconds on Chumba and coasted the rest of the way.

For the Japanese athletes, the race doubled as a qualifier for this summer’s world championships in Beijing.

Former ekiden star Imai put himself in a strong position to make Japan’s team by posting the sixth-fastest time ever by a male Japanese runner and taking nearly three minutes off his previous personal best.

“I was aiming for 2:06, 2:07 at worst,” Imai said. “I just managed to hang on to the end. Up until now, I was getting uptight and winding myself into a knot even before the race started.”

Who is the 3rd actor?

All the above actors were part of one movie, I know most you  are familiar with Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jim Fox but who is the 3rd actor? This is the magic of makeup. Great work. It took me several minutes to figure out who was this person. I recognized his voice but could not guessed he is my favorite actor, Can you guess who he is?
Clue.. ? not that easy just stare at him     

SAN DIEGO TAXI PERMIT ISSUING IS ABOUT TO START

MTS/City of San Diego Permit Applicant Fact Sheet

Note: Prospective applicants should complete and submit (via US Mail) a MTS/City of San Diego Taxicab Permit Applicant Interest Form in order to be given priority once applications begin to be accepted. Applicant Interest Forms will be available March 2, 2015 on the MTS Taxicab Administration website. Interest forms will be accepted through March 31, 2015.
A $50 non-refundable payment must be submitted with the interest form, and will be credited toward application fees.

New taxicab permit applications can be requested after March 31, but will not have priority if an interest form was not submitted prior to March 31. All new City of San Diego taxicab permit applicants will need to complete the requirements listed below. This is not an all-inclusive list of requirements. For more information, please refer to instructions on the application form.

CBS News 8 - San Diego, CA News Station - KFMB Channel 8
Applicant Requirements: 

• Provide evidence of at least six months experience of driving a taxicab, transportation network vehicle, charter party carrier service or similar service-oriented transportation business; or managing a demand responsive transportation service or similar service-oriented business

• Must pay all the required non-refundable fees per the MTS Fee Schedule

• Must pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check from the CA DOJ , FBI and local agencies

 • Must submit and receive approval for a business name (DBA)

 • Must provide evidence of ability to meet MTS insurance requirements ($1 million liability CSL)

 • Must provide evidence of financial ability to meet screening criteria and regulatory requirements

 • Must meet all other regulatory requirements for a taxicab owner specified in Ordinance 11

• Must obtain a Business Tax License from the City of San Diego, which will be required to be submitted to the Sheriff’s Licensing Division at the completion of the permit issuance process with MTS

Vehicle Requirements: 

• Must meet all regulatory and ordinance requirements
• Must meet California Air Resources Board criteria for zero emission or low-emission vehicle
• Must be equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS)
• Must not be older than ten (10) years of model age
• Must not have a “salvage” title • Must pass an initial permit issuance inspection and pass additional follow-up inspections


Adequate facilities must be demonstrated for:


• Administrative functions – to include a business office with public access, vehicle maintenance facility with address and address of off-street vehicle storage when not in service

Customer Service Plan Criteria: 
• Must include acceptance of credit cards, customer complaint system and must maintain records of all calls for service, calls dispatched, trips and complaints

Note: Additional requirements may be added by regulatory action to improve industry standards, enhance customer service and implement beneficial emerging technologies.

Source MTS

How a trip to Ethiopia shattered stereotypes, spurred documentary

Traveling to Ethiopia changed me forever. In the two months I worked there in 2008 I met a proud country that fought off Italian colonialists, a diverse nation that communicates in over 80 languages and a complex people who challenged my assumptions and helped shape how I see the world today.

But that wasn’t what I was expecting. I grew up in the 1980s and 90s, decades that saw famine and political unrest in Ethiopia, as well as growth to our region’s significant Ethiopian-American population. For me Ethiopia was a country that evoked images of starving children, refugees and war.

And I’m not alone. Many Americans think in broad, and often grim, generalizations about Ethiopia specifically and Africa overall. But one local Ethiopian-American filmmaker and a small group of college students are hoping to help challenge those stereotypes.

“Some students…all they knew of Africa was famine, terrorism, a lion and a tree,” says 25-year-old Amen Gibreab over strong cups of Ethiopian coffee at Gojo— an incense saturated restaurant tucked into a strip mall in north Seattle.

Two years ago a group of fifteen UW Bothell students met with Gibreab and the founder of the program, professor Panagiotis “Panos” Hatziandreas, in this very spot to discuss the first Seattle-area study-abroad program to Ethiopia. It was a trip that would focus on re-imagining Ethiopia for a new generation and Amen, a Media and Communication major and aspiring filmmaker, knew he had to document it.

Ethiopian is Back with Two Days Valentine’s Special to Addis Ababa!!!!

የወቅቱ የአፍሪካ አንድነት መሪና የዝምባቡኤው ፕሬዜዳንት ሙጋበቤ ወደቁ ከስልጣን ሳይሆን አደናቅፏቸው

የአፍሪካው አንድነት መሪና የዝምባቡኤው ፕሬዜዳንት ሙጋቤ ወደቁ! ከስልጣን ሳይሆን አደናቅፏቸው

1 ቀን ለማደር 90 ሚሊዮን ብር የሚያወጣው ሆቴል?

ጆሮን ማመንእስከሚያስቸግርድረስ ገንዘብ መጫወቻ

ሆኗል：： የኒወርክ ከታማው ሆቴል $45,000 per day ያክል ያስከፍላል

Eithiopian Airlines set to expand freighter fleet as panel probes 737F Accra crash

An accident investigation committee set up by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) will report by the end of this month on how an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-400 freighter, operated by ASKY Airlines, skidded off the runway on landing at Accra’s Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on 10 January.

The Togolese carrier, 40% owned by Ethiopian, was on route from its Lome hub. The three-man crew crew were unhurt but the ASKY said the aircraft was an insurance write-off. Its nose, a wing and engine separated in the crash.

Ethiopian, which also leases passenger 737s and Dash-8s to ASKY, has not commented on any plans to replace the freighter.

Its own cargo fleet comprises four B777Fs, two MD-11Fs and two B757Fs as well as the B737. Two more B777 freighters are on the way in the fourth quarter of this year, out of a total of 33 aircraft on order.

Ethiopian plans to increase to 18 freighters by 2025, helping it to capitalise on 5.3% annual air cargo growth IATA is projecting for Africa.

The carrier claims the Ethiopian air cargo market is the fourth fastest growing in the world, thanks to flower exports to Europe and shipments of fresh meat, fruit and vegetables to the Middle East. Leather products and textiles are also significant export commodities.

Europe now accounts for just half of Ethiopian’s overall cargo traffic and the carrier is now focusing increasingly on the Asian trade lane. Major imports from Asia include pharmaceuticals, telecom equipment and consumer goods. Main export flows are leather goods, flowers, fresh fish and other foodstuffs.

Ethiopian saw 23% growth in cargo freight tonne-kilometres last year following a 9.5% increase in ATK capacity. Temperature-controlled facilities for perishables are being extended at its new 1.2 million tonne terminal in Addis Ababa.

A multi-hub operation is gradually taking shape in Africa, beginning with Lome – which was reported to be “going well” ahead of the ASKY accident. Lilongwe, Malawi, will follow this year, and an as-yet unspecified location in central Africa will be added as a third hub outside Ethiopia.

After joining Cargo 2000 a year ago, Ethiopian hopes to be certified on five trade lanes (Jeddah, Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong and Liege) by this June.

The carrier has pushed hard to remove paper from the cargo process. It had achieved 80% e-air waybill penetration at its main hub by the end of last year and 48.3% system-wide, despite the physical documents some customs authorities still require.

Ethiopian lists “highly bureaucratic and inefficient” Customs as a hindrance to its cargo development, along with directional imbalance in and out of Africa, an under-developed inter-Africa market, trade barriers and poor airport, road and handling infrastructure.

EthioHomes.

For Ethiopians who wants to own house in Ethiopia. We will update you about current Ethiopian housing rules and regulations

Emails raise query over Islington 'terrorist' held by Ethiopia

Emails raise query over Islington 'terrorist' held by Ethiopia

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-31080591

The Ethiopian authorities have broadcast a video of a man from Islington in London, who they have been holding in secret since he was kidnapped in Yemen in June.

Ethiopia claims Andargachew 'Andy' Tsige is a terrorist and sentenced him to death in absentia.

But a series of internal emails from the UK's Foreign Office has now raised questions about the British government's involvement in the case, according to his family and legal representatives.

BBC London's Ayshea Buksh spoke to Mr Tisge's partner Yemi Hailemariam, the strategic director of Reprieve, Maya Foa. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, also appears.

The Ethiopian authorities have broadcast a video of a man from Islington in London, who they have been holding in secret since he was kidnapped in Yemen in June.

Ethiopia claims Andargachew 'Andy' Tsige is a terrorist and sentenced him to death in absentia.
But a series of internal emails from the UK's Foreign Office has now raised questions about the British government's involvement in the case, according to his family and legal representatives.
BBC London's Ayshea Buksh spoke to Mr Tisge's partner Yemi Hailemariam, the strategic director of Reprieve, Maya Foa. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, also appears.