Nigusu Worku, Regional Director of the Americas for Ethiopian Airlines | Travel Research Online

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Nigusu Worku, Regional Director of the Americas for Ethiopian Airlines

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In 2004, a few years after attending Addis Ababa University and receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management, Nigisu Worku joined Ethiopian Airlines as a college trainee. In those early years at the airline, Nigisu served in variety of roles that included Analyst, Senior Analyst, assistant to the COO, and assistant to the CEO. While assisting members of the C-Suite, Nigisu continued his education at Addis Ababa University, earning a Master of Arts Degree in Marketing Management. He briefly served as interim country manager in Equatorial Guinea and then in Canada before being appointed as the Country Manager for Canada in 2013. In that role he headed sales and marketing, as well as airport operations. Nigisu currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his spouse and two sons.

Travel Research Online (TRO): What originally inspired you to pursue a career in the travel industry?

Nigusu Worku (NW): The Travel Industry is a fascinating socioeconomic sphere that interests and fulfills me. Subsequently, I have a strong passion to work in the industry that is contributing its fair share to the growth of trade, investment, and tourism in Ethiopia and Africa.

TRO: Tell us about your role at Ethiopian Airlines.

NW: I am currently in charge of marketing, sales, and operations of Ethiopian Airlines in the United States. It is up to me to come up with a marketing and sales program in the United States and delight our customers by exceeding their service expectations.

TRO: What are the advantages of flying with Ethiopian Airlines versus other African airlines?

NW: According to IATA, Ethiopian Airlines is the top airline in Africa in revenue and profit. This is because we have a wide and strong network, a young fleet, and our top priority is excellent service.

TRO: What can a travel agent expect when they book their clients on an Ethiopian Airlines flight?

NW: Ethiopian Airlines strives to exceed expectations of its customers, so travel agents can rest assured their clients will be well cared for and can focus only on booking customers. We will take care of everything else.

TRO: Last month Ethiopian Airlines introduced their route from Addis Ababa to Dublin to Los Angeles. In what other areas or markets is Ethiopian Airlines looking to break ground?

NW: Ethiopian Airlines is on a fast track to more growth, and plans to add more gateways in the USA and other parts of the world.

TRO: Is Ethiopian Airlines looking to expand its current fleet of 76 aircraft?

NW: Yes, Ethiopian will acquire more aircraft.As a matter of fact, Ethiopian Airlines has 44 aircraft on order, 14 of which are A350, 8 are B787, 20 737 Max, and 2 777F.

TRO: What is your favorite destination to date?

NW: It’s simple, Ethiopia is my favorite destination! CNN recently made Ethiopia the world’s top tourism destination because Ethiopia has a lot to offer visitors, namely Nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, spectacular landscapes, mountain peaks, and deep valleys.

TRO: What can we expect to see in the coming months or years from Ethiopian Airlines?

NW: Ethiopian Airlines will be opening new routes, acquiring new aircraft, receiving more awards, and most importantly, continue to delight our treasured customers!


 

To learn more about Nigisu Worku and Ethiopian Airlines, visit them online at www.ethiopianairlines.com.

 

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