SEPANG: Ethiopian Airlines is eyeing a higher volume of 16,000 passengers between Kuala Lumpur and Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, compared with the 10,000 passengers recorded last year.

Its area manager (Malaysia) Osman Habib said the target was driven by its new Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner aircraft to Malaysia and increasing demand from passengers.

“Last year, we were operating on three weekly flights from Addis Ababa to Kuala Lumpur and we are looking to increase the frequencies with the new Dreamliner,” he told reporters at the welcoming reception of the aircraft in Sepang on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) general manager of marketing division Mohamed Sallauddin Mat Sah said MAHB was committed towards building a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline, to support its growth.

“Malaysia Airports offers airlines among the world’s lowest aeronautical charges which enable them to offer the lowest cost base for operations.

“This has encouraged many of our airline partners to increase and improve their services and frequencies, giving rise to Malaysia’s continued overal growth,” he said.

In conjunction with the Dreamliner’s arrival, Ethiopian Airlines is offering travel deals between Kuala Lumpur and Africa, the US and Europe via its 787 Dream adventure treat.

Passengers from Kuala Lumpur are offered roundtrip travel opportunities to over 90 international destinations worldwide including Nigeria, South Africa, Paris, Madrid, Los Angeles and Sao Paolo.

For flights with long layovers, Ethiopian Airlines provides a free stopover to Addis Ababa which covers meals and transit visa.

For its exclusive 787 Dream Adventure promotion, Economy Class passengers would be able to enjoy a 46kg baggage allowance, inclusive of meals and a complete range of beverages.

The airline would also provide travel-break opportunities to passengers wishing to explore and stay longer in Addis Ababa, for an additional fee. - Bernama