Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is headed to Ethiopia to promote economic and cultural ties with a nation poised to get a little bit closer with the city.
The mayor will return on the inaugural Ethiopian Airlines flight linking the African Union secretariat of Addis Ababa with the Georgia capital, according to a news release from his office.
“Atlanta and Addis Ababa are two global cities with important cultural and economic ties,” Mr. Dickens said in the release. “I am excited to deepen those ties through direct commercial air service, which will open more doors for business, tourism and cultural relations. Just as Atlanta will serve as a gateway to the Americas, Addis Ababa will give Atlantans an added gateway to all of Africa. I look forward to spending time with leaders and community members in Addis Ababa to share Atlanta’s story and learn from our counterparts.”
The mayor is set to meet with government, business, educational and cultural leaders during his short trip, which the city announced Wednesday.
As the airline announced, the flight originating in Ethiopia will make a brief refueling stop in Dublin before heading across the Atlantic, a symptom of fuel loss planes experience when taking off from high altitudes. The Atlanta-to-Addis leg will be nonstop.
Follow the journey on the city’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
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