Dublin confirmed as European hub for Ethiopian Airlines

Dublin Airport confirmed on Wednesday that Ethiopian Airlines is moving its European hub there from next month.

The African carrier has already announced plans to launch a service linking Addis Ababa and Los Angeles through the Irish capital in June.

A deal with the Government means that it has the right to pick up passengers at Dublin on both the outward and return legs of its Addis Ababa-to-Los Angeles service.

Dublin Airport Authority said in a statement on Wednesday that Ethiopian will move its European hub there from May 10th.

The airline will transit 10 flights a-week to Washington DC and Toronto through Dublin, where its craft will stop for refuelling.

Unlike its Los Angeles service, these flights will not have so-called “fifth freedom” rights allowing it to pick up passengers in Dublin.

However, it has been suggested that it could seek ultimately seek these fifth freedom rights for those services as well.

Ethiopian's Irish area manager, Michael Yohannes, said that it is already seeing strong demand for its Dublin-Los Angeles and Addis Ababa flights.

Industry website, Irish Travel Trade News, reported this week that Ethiopian was contemplating moving its hub here.

Up to now, it has been transiting its Washington DC and Toronto flights through Rome.

The airport's managing director, Vincent Harrison, said the move was a "significant piece of business" for the Dublin hub.

Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport grew 17 per cent in the first three months of the year to more than 4.7 million people.

This year it will have 21 new routes, made up ot 10 European services, four across the Atlantic, five to Britain and two to Africa.