Ethiopian Airlines is by far Africa’s largest operator, although there is not much competition across the vast continent. According to the US Department of Transportation, the Star Alliance member carried 637,000 passengers to/from the US in the 12 months to August 2025.

The same source shows that just 70.9% of the carrier’s US seats were filled, which is, in itself, a very low result. Compared to the prior year, traffic rose by 6% but was outstripped by a 10% increase in seats for sale. As such, its seat load factor fell. When all airlines in all US-Africa markets are considered, the load was 75.7%. Only Royal Air Maroc—which plans more US routes in 2026—had a lower result than Ethiopian, at just 70.5%.

Ethiopian’s US Routes Ordered By Loads

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Loads are just one performance measure, and should not be considered in isolation from other factors. A broader context is sometimes important. Nonetheless, very low loads—as demonstrated by some of Ethopian’s examples—speak volumes.

Of course, the airline would argue that the US plays an important role in its overall operation. For example, it targets the Ethiopian diaspora, focuses on global connectivity, and contributes to feeding its onward flights across Africa via its Addis Ababa hub.

As the table shows, some of Ethiopian’s routes stop in Lomé, Togo, in both directions to connect to/from its partner ASKY’s network across West and Central Africa. Others don’t. To overcome Addis Ababa’s very high elevation, which reduces take-off performance, flights stop in Rome en route to the US to refuel and change crew. They then operate nonstop back to Africa.

Atlanta Has The Lowest Seat Load Factor

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Ethiopian began the first-ever passenger service between Addis Ababa and Atlanta in May 2023. Flights run via Rome to Georgia and nonstop back to Africa. Between September 2024 and August 2025, Cirium Diio data shows the carrier’s frequencies varied from two to four weekly departures. Nearly all flights have been on the 270-seat Boeing 787-8, although the 315-seat 787-9 and the 321-seat 777-200LR have appeared.

The US DOT shows that it transported 56,630 round-trip passengers and filled just 60.6% of the available seats. Compared to the prior 12-month period, its average load fell by nearly four points. Monthly loads varied from an exceptionally low 41.3% (March 2025) to a high of 75.4% (June 2025).

Not having a relationship with Delta Air Lines did not help performance. As such, nearly everyone either originated or ended in Atlanta. Nearly one in two passengers connected to another flight in Ethiopia. The five most popular Atlanta markets via Addis Ababa were Nairobi, Lagos, Entebbe, Johannesburg, and Kilimanjaro. Flying Atlanta-Addis-Lagos adds about three-quarters more miles than flying Delta nonstop to Nigeria. Obviously, Ethiopian will attract passengers chasing lower fares.

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Unsurprisingly, Addis-Washington Dulles Had The Highest Load

Credit: Airbus

With 232,100 round-trip passengers, this market was, of course, by far Ethiopian’s most popular US service. It is influenced by the DC metro area, which has the US’s largest population of Ethiopians. It filled 80.8% of seats, with monthly results varying from 66.5% (March 2025) to 92.0% (July 2025). It needs to work on its off-season performance.

Between September 2024 and August 2025, Ethiopian served Addis-Rome-Dulles-Addis daily on the A350-900 and later the 395-seat A350-1000. In the past few years, the 777-200LR, 777-300ER, 787-8, and 787-9 have all been used. Unlike its Atlanta service, many people connected to another flight in Dulles and Addis.