The Chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde Gebremariam, has said that African airlines are struggling to compete globally and often go bust because of high fuel prices and high taxation.
According to Ceoafrica, Tewolde during a programme said aviation was a critical and essential public service in Africa and should be taken more seriously by governments.
He advocates African airlines putting their resources together as a way of protecting each other from going out of business.
He said that “We will not be able to face challenges if we work alone and independently. There must be a formula where we work together as African indigenous airlines to counter the competition coming from the rest of the world, because we are in a globalised world".
Mr Tewolde heads Africa's biggest and most successful carrier, which flies to more than 90 destinations worldwide.
The success of Ethiopian Airlines prompted Nigeria's government to request Ethiopia’s help to re-establish its national carrier, Air Nigeria, which collapsed five years ago.