Ethiopian Airlines said on Monday that Lieutenant General Yilma Merdassa, the leader of the nation’s air force, has been named chairman of the airline.
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.
Two months after taking office, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed selected Yilma to lead Ethiopia’s air force, which she has done since June 2018.
Yilma replaces Girma Wake, a 79-year-old veteran of the African airline industry, who joined the company in 1965 and served as its CEO from 2004-2011, a period of strong growth for the carrier, before taking on its chairmanship in March 2022.
Girma’s “contribution to the growth and success of the airline group has been enormous and will take a special place in the history of the group,” the company said in a press release.
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.
Ethiopian Airlines, a Star Alliance member with a fleet of 144 aircraft, was founded in 1945.
