Former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines receives life time achievement award
By Kaleyesus Bekele
Tewolde Gebremariam, former Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, has received a life time achievement award from Flight Global, a London based aviation Publication Company.
Turkish Airlines chief Bilal Eksi and former head of Ethiopian Airlines were among senior industry leaders recognized at this year’s Airline Strategy Awards on Sunday July 17, 2022 in London, UK.
According to Flight Global, the Airline Strategy Awards, which have been held since 2002 recognize individuals, airlines and companies supporting air transport that have demonstrated dynamic leadership and clear vision. Flight Global is the publisher of Airline Business, a premier international aviation magazine published in the UK.
Flight Global said in a statement that Tewolde Gebremariam received the prestigious Airline Business Award to recognize his achievements over 11-year spell at the helm of Ethiopian Airlines, during which he showed skill across a range of disciplines, from crisis management through to long-term strategic planning. Between Tewolde’s taking charge in 2011 and 2019, Ethiopian Airlines quadrupled in size, growing from a fleet of 33 aircraft carrying three million passengers to a fleet of 130 aircraft carrying 13 million passengers, as it became a gateway to the African continent.
When he stepped down early this year, Tewolde handed over an airline that is a rare case study in making a success of operations on the African continent. “Gebremariam has shown true leadership in a region where success is hard to come by at the best times. On his watch Ethiopian was not just the envy of other African airlines-it had admirers from all around the world,” said Lewis Harper, Airline Business Editor.
Tewolde, 55, resigned from Ethiopian last February after serving the leading African airline for 37 years.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award,” Tewolde told Origins Business. “I thank all the management and staff of Flight Global for the recognition,” he said.
