The announcement that Ethiopian has become the first African airline to serve California was heralded with great fanfare at a flight Launch Gala dinner that took place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood.
Ireland was involved as well since Ethiopian will fly from Los Angeles to Dublin and Addis Ababa.
Tewoldle Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines was on hand to announce the new service which will be featuring the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.  The CEO also described how Ethiopian airlines has grown five hundred per cent in one decade.
This was followed by a cocktail party and buffet dinner consisting of Ethiopian, Irish and California cuisine catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering
Entertainment followed with Ethiopian music and Irish dancers.
For this writer it was an opportunity to learn about what Ethiopia tourism has to offer since we sat at a table with tour operators who were on the first flight that arrived at LAX that morning.
Over four hundred people were at the event.