Who owns Ethiopian Airlines?
Ethiopian Airlines is owned by Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopia).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Ethiopian Airlines Group — overview. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Ethiopian Airlines Group reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
- Origin
- 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
- Founded
- 1945
- Category
- Travel & transport › Airlines
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines was founded on 21 December 1945 and flew its first service on 8 April 1946. Its hub at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport connects more than 145 international passenger and cargo destinations, over 60 of them African cities, using a fleet of more than 145 aircraft with an average age of about seven years. It joined Star Alliance on 13 December 2011, took its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner the same year, and by its own account became the largest African airline by revenue and profit in 2014.
Ownership timeline of Ethiopian Airlines
- Current owner Ethiopian Airlines [1] reported
Where Ethiopian Airlines sits in Ethiopian Airlines
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Ethiopian Airlines ownership tree →
See the full Ethiopian Airlines brand portfolio (5) →
Other brands owned by Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines controls 5 brands on Brandtree, 4 of them in travel & transport.
Also in travel & transport
Other brands in airlines, and who owns them
The 509 brands in airlines on Brandtree belong to 341 owners. The largest is Lufthansa Group, with 10; Ethiopian Airlines has 3.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Air Dolomiti | Lufthansa Group | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| China Southern Airlines | China Southern Airlines | 🇨🇳 China |
| Air China | Air China | 🇨🇳 China |
| Aer Lingus | IAG | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| LATAM Airlines Brasil | LATAM | 🇨🇱 Chile |
| Air France | Air France-KLM | 🇫🇷 France |
| AirAsia | AirAsia X | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| Calm Air | Exchange Income | 🇨🇦 Canada |
About the owner: Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines is a state-owned company headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, founded in 1945. Brandtree records 5 brands under its control.
Ethiopian Airlines Group is wholly owned by the Government of Ethiopia and was founded on 21 December 1945, flying its first service on 8 April 1946. It operates more than 145 aircraft with an average age of about seven years to more than 145 international passenger and cargo destinations, over 60 of them African cities. Beyond the airline it runs cargo and logistics, an aviation university, ground services, aircraft maintenance, catering, airports, a tour operator and a hotel, and pursues a multi-hub strategy through minority stakes in national carriers elsewhere in Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines: full profile, brands and acquisition history →
🇪🇹 Ethiopian Airlines and other Ethiopian brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 9 brands that began in Ethiopia. 2 of them (22%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Ethiopian Airlines is not one of them.
- Cerifam — Faffa Food 🇪🇹
- Kadisco — Asian Paints 🇮🇳
- Safaricom Ethiopia — Vodafone 🇬🇧
- Goûter — Faffa Food 🇪🇹
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Ethiopian Airlines?
The parent company of Ethiopian Airlines is Ethiopian Airlines Group, a state-owned company headquartered in Ethiopia.
Is Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian?
Yes. Ethiopian Airlines originated in Ethiopia in 1945 and its owner, Ethiopian Airlines Group, is also headquartered in Ethiopia.
Is Ethiopian Airlines still owned by Ethiopian Airlines Group?
Yes. As of 23 September 2026, Ethiopian Airlines is still owned by Ethiopian Airlines Group. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Ethiopian Airlines Group — overview — Ethiopian Airlines Group, Official document; retrieved 23 September 2026.
Report a correction Opens a pre-filled GitHub issue. See our corrections policy.