A flight covering just 53 nautical miles (98 kilometres) would normally be the domain of a regional jet or turboprop. Instead, Ethiopian Airlines is operating the route with an Airbus A350-900, a long-haul aircraft designed for intercontinental travel.
The roughly 45-minute flight between Geneva and Lyon is believed to be Europe’s shortest scheduled route, according to SimplyFlying.
The service is not a standalone route. It is the final leg of Ethiopian Airlines’ new Addis Ababa–Geneva–Lyon service, which launched on July 2 and operates three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Lyon is now the airline’s newest destination in Europe, replacing its previous Geneva–Brussels extension.
Passengers cannot book the Geneva–Lyon segment on its own because Ethiopian Airlines does not have fifth-freedom traffic rights for that route. The flight is available only as part of a longer journey to or from Addis Ababa and the airline’s wider African and international network. That unusual arrangement explains why one of the world’s most advanced long-haul aircraft is flying such a short distance.
The setup differs from Ethiopian’s Geneva–Manchester service, where the airline does hold fifth-freedom rights. That allows travellers to book flights solely between Geneva and Manchester, placing Ethiopian Airlines in direct competition with easyJet on the route.
With the addition of Lyon, Ethiopian Airlines now serves three destinations in France: Paris, Marseille and Lyon. The carrier operates 14 weekly flights to the country, including daily services to Paris Charles de Gaulle, four weekly flights to Marseille and three weekly flights to Lyon via Geneva.
The new service reflects Ethiopian’s strategy of expanding into secondary European cities through one-stop connections rather than launching separate nonstop routes. The approach helps the airline grow its network while keeping costs under control.
The expansion comes as Ethiopian Airlines continues to invest heavily in its future. The carrier is growing its fleet and developing a $12.5 billion airport near Addis Ababa that is expected to handle up to 110 million passengers a year and accommodate 270 aircraft. The project is central to its ambition of strengthening Addis Ababa’s position as Africa’s leading aviation hub and expanding air links between the continent and Europe.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah