Corendon Airlines vs Ethiopian Airlines

Overview

Corendon Airlines (legally Turistik Hava Taşımacılık A.Ş.) is a Turkish leisure airline. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 2004, began flying in 2005 and is a subsidiary of Corendon Tourism Group. It is headquartered in Antalya. It belongs to no global alliance. Sister carriers are Corendon Dutch Airlines and Corendon Airlines Europe.

Network and hubs

The airline flies scheduled and charter services to more than 140 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Its hubs are Antalya and İzmir Adnan Menderes, and it also has a base at Ankara Esenboğa. Most traffic is holiday flying between Turkey and European cities. It has also kept flying to Russia, including charters from Perm to Antalya announced for May 2024.

Fleet

The fleet is all Boeing 737. The Wikipedia fleet table lists 9 Boeing 737-800 and 6 Boeing 737 MAX 8, 15 aircraft in total, while Plane Finder lists 14. Counts differ between sources and change often. In September 2026, FlightGlobal reported that the Corendon group would cut its fleet from 30 to 21 aircraft this winter because of high fuel costs. Capacity and schedules may therefore be smaller than in summer.

On board

All aircraft are single-class economy. The 737-800 has 189 seats in a 3-3 layout with a pitch of about 30 inches, according to Seatlink. Kayak says there are no power sockets or Wi-Fi. Meals are generally an extra, except on the Premium fare, which includes a hot meal or snacks. Seats and meals can be pre-selected for a fee on lower fares.

Good to know

• Fares: the branded fares are Lite, Eco, Flex and Premium (All Inclusive). Premium includes a 30 kg bag, seat selection, priority boarding and flexible changes or refunds.
• Cabin baggage: the airline's baggage page allows one 10 kg bag and one 4 kg underseat bag on the Eco fare.
• Checked baggage: Flex includes 23 kg and Premium 30 kg. Extra baggage of up to 40 kg per person can be bought, and no single piece may exceed 32 kg.
• Extras: the additional services page lists seat selection, meals, priority check-in and boarding, lounge access, pets in cabin and sports equipment.
• Safety: Wikipedia lists a 2012 cockpit fire during pushback at Antalya, with injuries during the evacuation, and a 2024 bird-strike engine failure that ended in an emergency landing at Frankfurt.

Overview

Ethiopian Airlines is the flag carrier of Ethiopia. According to Wikipedia, it was founded on 21 December 1945 and began operations on 8 April 1946. It is owned by the Government of Ethiopia (Wikidata), is based at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, and is a member of Star Alliance. Its frequent-flyer programme is ShebaMiles.

Network and hubs

The main hub is Addis Ababa Bole. Wikipedia lists secondary hubs at Lomé, Lusaka and Lilongwe, plus Liège for cargo. The airline serves a network of 155 passenger destinations, 22 of them domestic, and 68 freighter destinations. It holds stakes in several African carriers, including ASKY Airlines, Air Congo, Malawi Airlines and Zambia Airways.

Fleet

Ethiopian is Africa's largest airline by fleet. Nairametrics, using Planespotters data, counted 162 aircraft in July 2026. The Wikipedia fleet page (as of November 2025) lists these types:

• Airbus A350-900 (and A350-1000)
• Boeing 787-8 and 787-9
• Boeing 777
• Boeing 737 (including MAX)
• Bombardier Q400
• Boeing 767 (freighter)

Boeing announced on 20 April 2026 that six more 787s had been ordered as firm orders. In mid-May 2026, reports said the airline was in early talks for more A350s and about twenty A220s. These are reports, not confirmed orders. Its Vision 2035 plan aims for 271 aircraft by 2035.

On board

Long-haul aircraft have Business class, branded Cloud Nine, and Economy. On the A350-900, seatmaps.com reports personal entertainment screens with USB charging and a seat pitch of about 31-32 inches in Business. Meal, Wi-Fi and Economy seat details vary by aircraft and route and were not confirmed from an official source.

Good to know

• Baggage: the official baggage page gives a 23 kg limit per checked bag. Economy cabin baggage is one piece of up to 7 kg (official carry-on page). The number of free checked bags depends on route and fare, so check when booking.
• Lounges: Business class passengers can use the Cloud Nine Lounge in Terminal 2 at Addis Ababa and Star Alliance partner lounges (Going).
• Loyalty: ShebaMiles; Star Alliance status benefits apply.
• Fees and punctuality: no published change-fee or on-time figures were verified.