Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines Girma Wake Resigns
Girma Wake has since been replaced by Lieutenant General Yilma Merdassa, the commander of Ethiopia’s air force.
Before taking on his new position on June 8th, Yilma was the commander of Ethiopia’s air force and had been a member of the board of directors “for the last two and a half years,” according to the carrier.
Wake, a 79-year-old seasoned veteran of the African aviation sector, began working for the company in 1965. He served as its CEO from 2004 to 2011, during which time the carrier experienced significant expansion, before taking over as chairman in March 2022.
According to a press release from the firm, Girma Wake “has made an enormous impact to the growth and profitability of the airline group and will take a special place in the legacy of the group.”
Wake’s resignation occurs in the middle of controversy surrounding the launch of Nigeria Air, the country’s flag carrier, but the cause behind it is still unknown.
The aircraft used to reveal the nation’s national anthem was a legitimate chartered a plane from Ethiopian Airlines, according to Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air Capt. Dapo Olumide, who also said the aircraft was returned to Ethiopian Airlines after its presentation on the final day of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The aviation committees of Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives have both characterized the debut of the Nigeria Air as a hoax.
The only profitable airline on the African continent, Ethiopian Airlines, which is wholly owned by the government, reported a $937 million profit for the fiscal year 2021–2022.
Two months after taking office, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed selected Yilma to lead Ethiopia’s air force, which she has done since June 2018.
Ethiopian Airlines, a Star Alliance member with a fleet of 144 aircraft, was founded in 1945.
