Ethiopian Airlines is marking its one-year anniversary of flights from Manchester Airport by donating a rose bush featuring the nation’s famous flowers to Tatton Park in Knutsford and three other locations across the North.
More than 8,000 people from Greater Manchester have jetted off to Ethiopia or other African destinations.
To celebrate the rise in flights from the North to Africa, and the host of tourism and economic benefits that it brings to Greater Manchester, Ethiopian Airlines is donating a rose bush and bouquet of Ethiopian roses to Tatton Park.
As Manchester Airport’s catchment area spans the entire North, the airline is donating bushes to other gardens including Newby Hall & Gardens near Leeds, Renishaw Hall in Sheffield, and Crook Hall and Gardens in Durham.
Roses are the biggest export on the airline’s flights to Manchester, bringing in over 26 tonnes each month. Other key cargo includes machinery and garments.
The airline has flown more than 17,000 customers from Manchester Airport’s Terminal Two since services commenced last December and has helped contribute to the boost in tourism to African countries with popular onward connections to the likes of Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa.
In the first year of flights the airline covered almost 1.5m miles between Manchester and Addis Ababa, serving 34,956 meals and 29,712 coffees.
Michael Yohannes, Country Manager UK from Ethiopian Airlines, said: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating our first anniversary at Manchester Airport and we couldn’t think of a better way than bringing a touch of Ethiopia to the region. We are proud to have flown thousands of customers from Manchester and beyond to Ethiopia and some of the other wonderful countries in Africa. The rose bush donation is a symbol of the growth of the airline across Manchester and wider region.”
Carole Hyde, Business Development Manager at Tatton Park added: “Thank you to Ethiopian Airlines for selecting us as one of the gardens to be involved in this campaign to celebrate Ethiopia’s top export, the rose bush. We’re only a short hop from Manchester airport so we’re looking forward to planting the roses to complement our beautiful rose garden, and for the connections between these two destinations blooming and blossoming further.”
The flowers will be planted at Tatton Park in the new year by representatives from Ethiopian Airlines.
Ethiopian Airlines, which flies to more destinations in Africa than any other carrier, uses the ultramodern B-787 Dreamliner on the route with business and economy classes. The service to Addis Ababa operates on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
