Former ET boss Tewolde at the centre of KQ-Delta deal
Former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam. He is a senior strategy adviser for Delta and will be crucial in making or breaking the deal under discussion between Kenya Airways and Delta. PHOTO | MICHAEL TEWELDE | AFP
When the Kenyan delegation led by President William Ruto met with officials of Delta Airlines in Washington to discuss a proposal on the sale of national carrier Kenya Airways, a familiar figure sat with the Americans. Tewolde Gebremariam, the man credited with the success story of Africa’s biggest carrier Ethiopian Airlines, sat across the table.
No one at that meeting understands African aviation more than Mr Tewolde, who was the Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines for 11 years until March this year, when he suddenly retired for “health reasons.”
