Rabat

Rabat (Arabic: ar-Ribaaṭ الرباط‎; Berber: ⴰⵕⴱⴰⵟ Aṛbaṭ) is the capital of Morocco and its seventh largest city center with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra administrative region.

The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, the city's main commuter town. Rabat, Temara, and Salé form a conurbation of over 1.8 million people. Silt-related problems have diminished Rabat's role as a port; however, Rabat and Salé still maintain important textile, food processing and construction industries. In addition, tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat one of the most important cities in the country.

Once a reputed corsair haven, Rabat served as one of the many ports in North Africa for the Barbary pirates, who were particularly active from the 16th through the 18th centuries.

Marrakesh

Marrakesh or Marrakech (/məˈrækɛʃ/ or /ˌmærəˈkɛʃ/;Berber: Meṛṛakec, ⵎⴻⵕⵕⴰⴽⴻⵛ; Arabic: مراكش‎, Murrākuš) is a major city of Morocco. It is the fourth largest city in the country, after Casablanca, Rabat and Fes. It is the capital city of the mid-southwestern region of Marrakesh-Asfi. Located to the north of the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh is located 580 km (360 mi) southwest of Tangier, 327 km (203 mi) southwest of the Moroccan capital of Rabat, 239 km (149 mi) south of Casablanca, and 246 km (153 mi) northeast of Agadir.

Marrakesh is possibly the most important of Morocco's four former imperial cities (cities that were built by Moroccan Berber empires). The region has been inhabited by Berber farmers since Neolithic times, but the actual city was founded in 1062 by Abu Bakr ibn Umar, chieftain and cousin of Almoravid king Yusuf ibn Tashfin. In the 12th century, the Almoravids built many madrasas (Koranic schools) and mosques in Marrakesh that bear Andalusian influences. The red walls of the city, built by Ali ibn Yusuf in 1122–1123, and various buildings constructed in red sandstone during this period, have given the city the nickname of the "Red City" or "Ochre City". Marrakesh grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural, religious, and trading centre for the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa; Jemaa el-Fnaa is the busiest square in Africa.

Morocco

Morocco (ⁱ/məˈrɒkoʊ/; Arabic: المغرب‎ al-Maġrib; Berber: ⵍⵎⴰⵖⵔⵉⴱl'Meġrib; French: Maroc), officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. Geographically, Morocco is characterized by a rugged mountainous interior and large portions of desert. It is one of only three countries (with Spain and France) to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. The Arabic name al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah (Arabic: المملكة المغربية‎, meaning "The Western Kingdom") and Al-Maghrib (Arabic: المغرب‎, meaning "The West") are commonly used as alternate names.

Morocco has a population of over 33.8 million and an area of 446,550 km² (172,410 sq mi). Its political capital is Rabat, although the largest city is Casablanca; other major cities include Marrakesh, Tangier, Tetouan, Salé, Fes, Agadir, Meknes, Oujda, Kenitra, and Nador. A historically prominent regional power, Morocco has a history of independence not shared by its neighbours. Its distinct culture is a blend of Arab, indigenous Berber, Sub-Saharan African, and European influences.

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ (Yäitəyop̣əya äyärə mänəgädə); የኢትዮጵያ (Yäitəyop̣əya)^? in short), formerly Ethiopian Air Lines (EAL) and often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is Ethiopia's flag carrier and is wholly owned by the country's government. EAL was founded on 21 December 1945 and commenced operations on 8 April 1946, expanding to international flights in 1951. The firm became a share company in 1965, and changed its name from Ethiopian Air Lines to Ethiopian Airlines. The airline has been a member of the International Air Transport Association since 1959, and of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) since 1968. Ethiopian is a Star Alliance member, having joined in December 2011 (2011-12).

Its hub and headquarters are at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, from where it serves a network of 82 passenger destinations —19 of them domestic— and 23 freighter ones. Ethiopian flies to more destinations in Africa than any other carrier. It is one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, and is among the largest on the African continent. It is also one of the few profitable airlines in the Sub-Saharan region. The airline's cargo division was awarded The African Cargo Airline of the Year in early 2011. Recently, Ethiopian won the Best Regional Airline of the Year award at the 41st Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards by Air Transport World (ATW), held in Washington, D.C. on 25 February 2015.

South African Airways

South African Airways (SAA) is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 38 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International Airport, using a fleet of 54 aircraft. Thuli Mpshe was appointed as the acting CEO of SAA in August after Nico Bezuidenhout, the former acting CEO of SAA returned as CEO of Mango.

South African Airways was founded in 1934 after the acquisition of Union Airways by the South African government. The airline was initially overseen and controlled by South African Railways and Harbours Administration. Sanctions by African countries which would have otherwise provided stopover airports during apartheid forced it to adopt long-range aircraft and other measures to counter these restrictions. During this time, it was also known by its Afrikaans name, Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens (SAL), which has been dropped. In 1997 a major overhaul programme, which involved a change of name, image and aircraft livery, as well as the introduction of online ticketing services, was carried out by the company's board. In 2006, SAA split from Transnet, its parent company, to operate as an independent airline.