ADDIS ABABA, March 8, (Xinhua): Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's leading carrier, has announced that it will conduct all-women-operated flights to eight destinations to mark International Women's Day, which falls on March 8. Speaking at a special ceremony on Saturday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Mesfin Tasew, group chief executive officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines, said the flights showcase women's participation across aviation professions, including pilots, aircraft technicians, engineers, and cabin crew.

According to the CEO, women currently make up about 40 percent of Ethiopian Airlines' workforce, demonstrating the company's ongoing efforts to expand opportunities for women in areas that were traditionally dominated by men, particularly technical and aviation roles. The flights will depart simultaneously to international and domestic destinations, including Cairo, Djibouti, Nairobi, Frankfurt, Accra, Mumbai, Windhoek, and Dire Dawa.

Each flight will be operated exclusively by female aviation professionals. The airline also announced that the number of its female pilots has reached 95, marking another milestone in the airline's push for gender inclusion in aviation. The women-operated flights have become an annual tradition for the airline, aimed at celebrating women's achievements while inspiring more women and girls to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace.