Ethiopian Airlines Soars with PAX & Onboard Hospitality Awards

Ethiopian Airlines continues to elevate the standard of air travel in Africa, securing two prestigious awards in Hamburg, Germany: the “Outstanding Food Service by a Carrier – Africa” award at the 2025 PAX Readership Awards and the “Cabin Concept of the Year 2025” award at the Onboard Hospitality Awards. These accolades underscore Ethiopian’s commitment to service excellence and innovation, offering African travel agents compelling selling points for discerning clients.

This marks the third time Ethiopian has clinched the PAX Readership Award for outstanding food service, a testament to the airline’s dedication to culinary excellence. The airline’s state-of-the-art catering facility in Addis Ababa, capable of producing an impressive 100,000 meals daily, plays a crucial role in this achievement. The facility boasts international kitchens staffed by a diverse team of global chefs, ensuring a wide array of culinary options to satisfy even the most discerning palates. A dedicated Halal-certified kitchen further caters to specific dietary requirements, reflecting Ethiopian’s commitment to inclusivity and personalized service. For travel agents, this translates to a guarantee of high-quality, diverse meals for their clients, enhancing the overall travel experience.

Ethiopian’s innovative cabin design also received recognition, with its A350-1000 cabin concept earning the Bronze “Cabin Concept of the Year 2025” award. This new cabin design prioritizes passenger comfort and technological advancement, featuring a spacious layout with larger panoramic windows, mood lighting, and ultra-quiet cabins for a more relaxing journey. Each seat is equipped with the cutting-edge AVANT Up in-flight entertainment system, offering 4K displays, Bluetooth connectivity, and real-time landscape camera feeds for an immersive entertainment experience. Furthermore, eco-conscious amenity kits, complete with sustainable bamboo brushes and other thoughtful additions, demonstrate Ethiopian’s commitment to sustainability, a growing concern for today’s travelers. These features provide travel agents with a compelling narrative of comfort, technology, and sustainability to attract environmentally conscious clients.

Group CEO Mesfin Tasew expressed pride in the awards, highlighting them as a testament to Ethiopian’s dedication to providing a world-class travel experience. He emphasized the airline’s commitment to blending Ethiopian hospitality with future-forward technologies, creating a unique and memorable journey for every passenger. This commitment to excellence resonates with the aspirations of African travel professionals, who seek to offer their clients the best possible travel experiences.

These recent awards add to Ethiopian’s already impressive list of accolades, further solidifying its position as a leader in African aviation. The airline’s consistent recognition in global awards, including the “Best Overall in Africa” title at the 2025 APEX Passenger Choice Awards, underscores its commitment to service excellence across all aspects of the travel experience. This consistent performance provides travel agents with a reliable and reputable airline partner, ensuring client satisfaction and building trust in the Ethiopian brand.

The visualization below showcases the key differentiators of Ethiopian’s A350-1000 cabin concept and catering facility, highlighting the aspects most relevant to travel agents. From advanced technology and comfort features to specialized catering capabilities, these selling points empower travel agents to effectively communicate the value proposition of flying Ethiopian to their clients. This clear and concise presentation of key features simplifies the booking process and enhances the overall customer experience.

Ethiopian Airlines’ catering capabilities extend beyond standard in-flight meals. The facility also caters to non-scheduled flights, VVIPs, and charter flights, offering a comprehensive range of services to meet diverse needs. This versatility is a significant advantage for travel agents, allowing them to cater to a wider clientele, including high-profile individuals and specialized travel groups. The inclusion of duty-free items further enhances the onboard experience, providing passengers with additional shopping options and generating revenue for the airline.

The chart below provides a competitive analysis of Ethiopian Airlines’ catering capabilities compared to other major African carriers. The significant difference in daily meal production capacity, coupled with specialized features like international kitchens and Halal certification, highlights Ethiopian’s competitive edge. This data-driven comparison empowers travel agents to confidently position Ethiopian as a superior choice for clients seeking high-quality in-flight dining experiences.

Ethiopian Airlines’ recent achievements reflect a broader trend of African airlines investing in service enhancements and innovation. As the African aviation market continues to grow, airlines are increasingly prioritizing passenger experience and adopting new technologies to remain competitive. This positive development creates a more dynamic and attractive travel landscape for African travel professionals and their clients. Ethiopian Airlines, with its award-winning services and commitment to excellence, stands as a prime example of this upward trajectory, offering travel agents a reliable and high-quality airline partner for their clients’ travel needs.