Ethiopian Airlines Cancels LAX-ADD Route, Axing Fifth Freedom Dublin Stop

Ethiopian Airlines is terminating its 4x weekly service between Los Angeles and Addis Ababa, first launched in June 2015. The last flight will depart on December 14.

The LAX-ADD route is best known amongst AvGeeks for its stop in Dublin with pick-up privileges, which allows passengers to travel between California and Ireland on one of TPG's favorite fifth freedom routes (No. 8 on this list). The unique transatlantic Dreamliner route was a popular option for traveling in lie-flat business class on a Star Alliance partner. The airline still operates three routes with US destinations: Chicago, Newark and Washington Dulles. However, none of these routes offer fifth freedom privileges, since the Washington Dulles route stops in Dublin to refuel but does not allow the airline to pick up or drop off passengers who are not continuing on to Ethiopia.

Despite the route cancellation, Ethiopian Airlines is still going strong, choosing instead to focus its attention on expanding coverage to other destinations. Beginning December 11, the airline will increase its route frequency to 6x weekly between Addis Ababa (ADD) and Oslo (OSL). And on Nov. 2, Ethiopian Airlines will fly in to Mogadishu, Somalia, reviving a route that has been dormant for more than 40 years. Ethiopia terminated its Somalia routes in the late 1970s during the country's civil unrest, and Somalia lost its United Nations airspace rights altogether for nearly 30 years after the government collapsed in 1991.