Ivory Coast is getting its first nonstop flight to the U.S. in virtually two years, because of Ethiopian Airlines.
The provider is resuming nonstop flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Abidjan, one of many largest cities in Ivory Coast, beginning May 23. New York passengers can connect with or from the airline’s hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by way of Abidjan.
The revival of the route additionally marks the return of a fifth-freedom flight for the provider. A fifth-freedom flight permits an airline to fly between two international locations that are not the provider’s house nation so long as the flight continues to or from that airline’s house nation. There are quite a few fifth-freedom routes from the U.S., together with a number of on Singapore Airlines. Some examples embody its routes between JFK and Frankfurt, and Houston and Manchester, England.
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As for Ethiopian, it first launched flights to Ivory Coast from New York City in June 2019; it suspended the route virtually a 12 months later, in March 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ivory Coast is a West African nation recognized for its lush forests crammed with palm bushes. One of its most notable websites is a fantastic basilica — loosely primarily based on St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City — situated within the nation’s capital Yamoussoukro.
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However, resulting from ongoing regional political tensions and excessive crime charges, the U.S. Department of State recommends reconsidering journey to Ivory Coast.
Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew stated the provider has been attempting so as to add extra routes to its map up to now few months, together with resuming flights it beforehand canceled due to COVID-19.
“We have been increasing frequencies and adding new destinations in Africa, Europe, Middle East, and Asia in the past couple of months and we are delighted that the Abidjan-New York route is coming again,” Tasew stated.
The airline has additionally been rising its community within the U.S. In January, Ethiopian announced it will service flights between Atlanta and Addis Ababa beginning May 16. The provider already flies to New York, Newark, Chicago and Washington, D.C.