Abyssinian Flight Services & Aviation Academy (AFS), one of Ethiopia’s leading private air charter operators, has inaugurated the first tourist charter flight to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), positioning the iconic dam as a premier national tourism destination.

The milestone flight, carrying Ethiopian-American diaspora visitors, took place on September 25, 2025, shortly after the dam’s official inauguration. For more than 13 years, AFS has provided critical air transport to the GERD site, supporting the project through its construction phase.

This latest move signals AFS’s evolution from a primarily logistical service provider to a key player in Ethiopian tourism, underscoring growing public and diaspora interest in the dam as a powerful symbol of national pride and achievement.

Founded in 1999, AFS operates passenger and cargo charters, medical evacuation services, and aerial surveys across Ethiopia and neighboring regions. Its affiliated Abyssinian Aviation Academy—the country’s first private pilot training school—continues to cultivate skilled professionals and strengthen Ethiopia’s aviation sector.