Ethiopian Airlines bets on Hyderabad’s medical tourism with launch of direct flights connecting Addis Ababa

Teklehaimanot G. Yohannes, managing director International Services Ethiopian Airlines Group, pose for {a photograph} after the announcement of the addition of a brand new passenger path to Hyderabad, on Tuesday (June 17, 2025).
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Tapping into Hyderabad’s rising status as a medical tourism hub, Ethiopian Airlines has launched a brand new direct air route connecting the town with Addis Ababa, with plans to channel inbound sufferers from throughout Africa to hospitals in Telangana.

Thrice-weekly service

The thrice-weekly service, which started on June 16 from Addis Ababa and on June 17 from Hyderabad, is an element of Africa’s largest airline’s increasing India community. The service will function flight ET 682 from Addis Ababa to Hyderabad on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with return flight ET 683 departing from Hyderabad on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Teklehaimanot G Yohannes, managing director of International Services at Ethiopian Airlines Group, advised The Hindu that medical journey is rising as a key progress space for the airline in India.

Relations with main hospitals in India

“Medical tourism is indeed a growing opportunity. We already have established relationships with major hospitals in India, including a few in Hyderabad. Additionally, we operate a division called Ethiopian Holidays, which also promotes medical travel. We are in the process of developing a dedicated medical tourism package, which will soon be launched. Once finalised and approved by our headquarters, this initiative is expected to further boost inbound travel to Hyderabad for medical treatment,” he stated.

The airline’s transfer comes at a time when Hyderabad’s private and non-private hospitals are more and more attracting sufferers from African international locations for specialised therapy in cardiology, oncology, nephrology and organ transplants.

Mr. Yohannes famous that the airline’s relationship with Hyderabad started through the COVID-19 pandemic, when it began working cargo charters carrying crucial medical provides. “That effort evolved into regular cargo operations. Today, we continue to transport pharma and IT-related shipments from Hyderabad. While pharma is not always about high volume, it demands precision and cold-chain reliability. To that end, we have state-of-the-art cold storage facilities in Addis Ababa and our own temperature-controlled pharma containers, ensuring integrity from origin to destination.”

Responding to latest issues over aviation security following the Air India flight 171 crash involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, Mr. Yohannes stated, “We operate 29 of the same aircraft type. That said, aviation remains one of the safest and fastest modes of transportation. We have not encountered any major issues with our fleet. The incident in India is unfortunate, but we continue to maintain rigorous safety and maintenance standards. Passenger safety is our top priority.”