The Ethio-American Chamber of Commerce (EACC) honored Solomon Gizaw, founder and managing director of Abyssinian Flight Service, for his contributions to Ethiopia\u2019s aviation sector.<\/p>\n
The award was presented on April 17 during a gala dinner at the MGM National Harbor Hotel and Casino. The chamber said the recognition celebrates \u201cvisionary leadership, business excellence and community impact\u201d across the Ethiopian diaspora, citing Solomon\u2019s role in advancing aviation services and training in Ethiopia.<\/p>\n
Founded in 2018 by Ethiopian-American business owners, the chamber is a nonprofit that promotes the interests of its members and fosters a networked business community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am very excited to receive the award. I am stunned,\u201d Solomon said, attributing the recognition to his team. \u201cThe credit goes to all the staff of Abyssinian Flight Service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Established in 1999, Abyssinian Flight Service provides charter aviation services and launched Ethiopia\u2019s first private pilot training school in 2007. The company currently operates a fleet of 12 aircraft, including nine training planes, and has graduated 255 pilots from multiple countries. Some alumni now serve as captains on large commercial aircraft, including with Ethiopian Airlines.<\/p>\n
The firm\u2019s operations span tourism, humanitarian missions and mining logistics. It has also supported major infrastructure projects such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and provides air ambulance services.<\/p>\n
Solomon said the aviation and tourism sectors are gradually recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly disrupted operations. \u201cWe could have been in a much better position had it not been for the painful impacts of the pandemic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite these challenges, the company has continued to expand its footprint in Ethiopia\u2019s general aviation sector, receiving multiple recognitions this year. It was recently acknowledged by Ethiopian Electric Power for its long-standing air support to the GERD project.<\/p>\n
Abyssinian Flight Service has also been involved in emergency response efforts. It participated in search-and-rescue operations following the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash. In November 2025, during an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in southern Ethiopia, the company sponsored a relief flight to Jinka, transporting medical personnel and supplies for the Ethiopian Public Health Institute after transport links were suspended.<\/p>\n
The company has also received recognition from government institutions, including a certificate of appreciation from the Ministry of Revenue for tax compliance.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Solomon expressed optimism about the sector\u2019s growth potential, citing rising demand from tourism, mining and large-scale infrastructure projects. \u201cEthiopia is a growing economy. There is significant untapped demand for charter aviation services,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a private operator, we have encountered various challenges. Nevertheless, we remain committed to our nation. By overcoming these obstacles, we continue to serve our customers and foster mutual growth,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
He also pointed to opportunities in aviation training, noting strong global demand for skilled professionals. \u201cEthiopia can train and supply hundreds of pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians annually,\u201d Solomon said, adding that stronger government support and public-private partnerships are needed to fully realize the sector\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n
Kaleyesus Bekele is a prominent aviation journalist<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Ethio-American Chamber of Commerce (EACC) honored Solomon Gizaw, founder and managing director of Abyssinian Flight Service, for his contributions to Ethiopia\u2019s aviation sector. The award was presented on April 17 during a gala dinner at the MGM National Harbor Hotel and Casino. The chamber said the recognition celebrates \u201cvisionary leadership, business excellence and community […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":50462,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1932],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-50343","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-speak-your-mind"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50343"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50463,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50343\/revisions\/50463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}