The growth of Ethiopian Airlines has helped boost job creation in the country, according to the 2017 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) Least Developed Countries Report. According to the report the availability of efficient air transport services has been instrumental in diversifying Ethiopia’s merchandise exports towards flower and horticultural products. “Ethiopia has successfully become an international provider of air cargo services. “Generally, efficient transport and logistics services are a precondition for the operation and expansion of manufacturing and agriculture,” says the report. Ethiopian Airlines is ranked 48th in the world in the Skytrax World Airline Awards, and South African Airways 49th. Ethiopia’s Hawassa Industrial Park is among three winners of the 2017 United Nations Awards for Promoting Investment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were announced by Unctad’s Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission on November 20. Hawassa Industrial Park in eastern Addis Ababa is described as an “eco-friendly textile and apparel facility with efficient use of water and energy, waste treatment, and renewable energy”. The industrial park is linked by road to the port of Djibouti, and directly through the recently upgraded Hawassa airport, which has a 2 500-metre runway. More than 12 000 people are employed in the park.
