Assessment of Operational Challenges and Opportunities of Ethiopian Airlines during COVID-19 Pandemic Period

Abstract

The aviation industry is one of the industries that are capital intensive and surrounded by many types of risks one of them being related with health and transport related risks specially the unforeseen pandemics and their effect; since Aviation industry is mobility based industry it has a high effect on spreading of diseases and pandemics via passengers from one place/continent to the other part of the world. The major risks that are related with health facts are transition of deadly pandemics. The objective of this paper is to investigate the management techniques and practice implemented by African Aviation Industry focusing on Ethiopian Airlines as a case study point during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak seasons of the years 2019/2020. The study is conducted using qualitative approach using descriptive research design of assessment by using primary and secondary data that are obtained through structured questionnaire and semi structured interview questions as primary data and previously conducted researches, books, journals, organizational publications and reports as source of secondary date. Interviews were conducted with management staffs that works on different sectors of the organization to triangulate and supplement data obtained from both sources of data. The results reveal that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) uses various project integration management methods, risk management methods, health and safety measures and has made, physical changes to the aircrafts it operates on as well as to the working environment its employees work and at its service providing station because of the adjustments the airline has made they were able to fetch benefit out of the pandemic season. Based on such findings the conclusion drawn is African Aviation industries needs to create a related business groups to support their airline in case of pandemics like COVID-19