As Ethiopian Airlines Acquires New Aircraft

Chinedu Eze

Ethiopian Airlines is one of the airlines that is globally competitive and an airline that carries the flag for the African continent. It is not only the most successful airline in the region, but a trail blazer, which inspires other operators in Africa and beyond.

Earlier this year, the airline market its 78 anniversary and awed the world with its continuous acquisition of aircraft, expanded its operations in cargo with high sophisticated cargo facility at its operation base, Addis Ababa.

Recently, the airline’s Sales Manager in Nigeria, Mrs. Adetola Alabi, outlined the Ethiopian Airlines recent achievements. She spoke about Ethiopian Airlines introduction of its newest aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000, to its Lagos fleet, noting that this state-of-the-art aircraft offers unmatched comfort, luxury, and technological advancements.

“Passengers can expect a spacious and modern cabin with wider seats, more legroom, and a premium travel experience. The A350-1000 also features cutting-edge entertainment systems, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a quieter, smoother flight.

Among the airlines in the airline’s fleet include 20 Airbus 350XWB, 30 Boeing 737, 19 Boeing 777, 27 Boeing 787, the Dreamliner, 28 DHC Dash 8 with a total of 147 aircraft in its fleet.

On the new fleet from Airbus, the Europe based plane maker said that the airline upsized four of its A350-900 in order to secure the largest variant of the A350 Family in June 2022 and that one of the four A350-1000s on order is now expected to arrive at Ethiopian airlines’ hub next month.

“We are all set to welcome the A350-1000, the very first of its kind in Africa,… in November 2024,” the airlines announced on Tuesday, adding that the plane has already been named as ‘Ethiopia Land of Origins’. The airline’s executives expect it to be best fit “for our dense routes”.

“The A350-1000 is one of the two versions of Airbus’s A350 family. It can accommodate up to 410 passengers in a standard three-class configuration, with 40% more area for premium-category seating, per Airbus. Ethiopian became the first African carrier to operate the A350 when it took delivery of the first A350-900 aircraft seven years ago.

“The airline has since expanded the fleet size due to “performance, operational and cost efficiencies” of its initial aircraft. Ethiopian currently operates a fleet of 20 A350-900s and recently reached an agreement with the planmaker for an additional 11 A350-900s.

This agreement takes the Airlines’ order book and commitment for A350 to 33, include the four A350-1000S,” Airbus stated in its website.

The airline has Aircraft Maintenance Technician School, an Approved Training Organization (ATO) by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and EASA Part 147 B1/B2 approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Established in 1967, Ethiopian Aircraft Maintenance Technicians School has specialized in aviation maintenance trainings for nearly 50 years; consistently offering the highest industry standard maintenance technicians training.
“We offer Basic, Type and Recurrent training programs with a combination of classroom theory and hands-on practical trainings. Our competent instructors are dedicated to prepare trainees for entry- level employment as Aircraft Technicians and type rate on specific aircraft.
“Our goal is far beyond preparing our trainees for certification and licensing. It is to be the center of excellence that creates favorable experience, both for our students and employers alike,” the airline said.
Ethiopian MRO provides Base maintenance services to domestic and foreign carriers and the maintenance facility is capable to deliver heavy maintenance services on A350 XWB-900, B737NG/Classic, B757, B767, B777-200/300, B787-8/9, DHC-8-100/200/300/400, DA 40NG, DA 42NG, DA 42 M, DA 42 M-NG and Cessna 172 Series.
There are Six state of the art aircraft maintenance hangars in ET-MRO, one of which is dedicated for full aircraft paint only. Two wide body aircraft maintenance hangars, Two narrow body maintenance hangars and one training aircraft maintenance hangar are the basic places where aircraft heavy (base) maintenance take place.
“ET-MRO base maintenance services are given by highly professional, skill full and certified maintenance personnel,” the airline also said.
Reuters reported earlier in the year that Ethiopia has signed an agreement for the design of a new four-runway airport that will be Africa’s biggest when construction is completed in 2029.

Located near the town of Bishoftu, around 45 km (28 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, the airport will have capacity to handle 100 million passengers a year and provide parking for 270 aircraft, Ethiopian Airlines’ CEO, Mesfin Tasew, had disclosed.
Ethiopian MRO provides Base maintenance services to domestic and foreign carriers.
Ethiopian MRO is capable to deliver heavy maintenance services on A350 XWB-900, B737NG/Classic, B757, B767, B777-200/300, B787-8/9, DHC-8-100/200/300/400, DA 40NG, DA 42NG, DA 42 M, DA 42 M-NG and Cessna 172 Series.
There are Six state of the art aircraft maintenance hangars in ET-MRO one of which is dedicated for full aircraft paint only. Two wide body aircraft maintenance hangars, Two narrow body maintenance hangars and one training aircraft maintenance hangar are the basic places where aircraft heavy (base) maintenance take place.
ET-MRO base maintenance services are given by highly professional, skill full and certified maintenance personnel.
As the airline is acquiring more fleet, it is also expanding destinations. Recently Ethiopian Airlines announced the addition of five new international flight destinations for the current fiscal year, further expanding its international services.
Mesfin Tasew, confirmed that among the new destinations are Amsterdam, Monrovia, Port Sudan, and Dhaka. Preparations are also underway to commence flights to Australia within two years, as the airline currently offers services to all continents except Australia.
The airline operates 139 international and 22 domestic flight destinations with a fleet of 147 aircraft. Mr. Mesfin emphasized that the airline is committed to enhancing its international services by expanding its destinations and increasing the number of aircraft annually.

He stated that work on five additional international destinations commenced in the previous fiscal year and highlighted the airline’s commitment to providing safe and reliable flight services to its passengers.

With the addition of these new destinations, Ethiopian Airlines continues to strengthen its position as a leading African carrier and a preferred choice for travelers seeking convenient and affordable air travel.

The airline said that the resumption of its passenger services to Monrovia, Liberia, reaffirms its commitment to strengthening connections across the African continent. Starting on November 30, 2024, the airline will offer three weekly flights to Liberia’s capital, restoring a critical air link that will enhance connectivity in West Africa and contribute to the region’s economic development.

By reintroducing flights to Monrovia, Ethiopian Airlines aims to support Liberia’s socio-economic growth while providing travelers with seamless connections to the rest of the world through the airline’s extensive global network. Flight ET933 is scheduled to depart from Addis Ababa every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:30 AM, arriving in Monrovia at 01:50 PM. Conversely, flight ET932 will leave Monrovia every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 10:20 AM, with an arrival time in Addis Ababa at 08:40 PM. The schedule is designed to accommodate both business and leisure travelers, ensuring a smooth connection to the airline’s extensive global network. Ethiopian will deploy its ultra-modern aircraft on the route.

Many aviation observers attribute Ethiopian Airlines success to its management, the commitment of the management team, their altruistic disposition, patriotism and the desire to always be on top. The airline had gone through the undulating experience of doing business in African environment with intemperate political leaders, but what the leaders whether under democracy or military have stuck to, is reverence for Ethiopian Airlines.