thiopian Airlines and the Boeing Company have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) whereby Ethiopian acquires 10 ultramodern Boeing 787 jetliners from the Chicago based aircraft manufacturer that will make Ethiopian the first African airliner to operator the all-new jet.

B787 DREAMLINER

Valued at $1.3 billion at list prices, the agreement involves ten firm orders and purchase rights for five more making it the biggest ever by Ethiopian. This huge investment is an unmistakable sign of its commitment to be a leader in African aviation.

Since its inception in 1946, Ethiopian has a long tradition of pioneering air transport in Africa.

In 1960, Ethiopian was the first African airline to order the Boeing 720B, the lighter and faster variant of the Boeing 707 that ushered the jet era to African skies. It was also in 1960 that Ethiopian launched the first airline service between East and West Africa.

In 1973, Ethiopian began service to Beijing, the first airline from Africa and the forth among the world to fly to China.

In the early 1980s Ethiopian became the first airline in Africa, one of the first launch customers in the world to order the technologically advanced Boeing 767-200ER twin-jet.

In August 1990, Ethiopian become the firs airline outside the United States to operate the factory built Boeing 757-200PF (Package Freighter ) dedicated freighter aircraft.

Now, Ethiopian Airlines has become the first African Carrier to order the B787 and become part of the B787 launch team.

The Boeing 787, known as Boeing 7E7 prior to its formal designation, with unique flying experience and unprecedented level of comfort will enable Ethiopian to continue providing world-class service to its customers.

B787 INTERIOR

The main factors that influenced the decision for acquiring the Boeing 787 at this time were the ground-breaking passenger comfort and outstanding technical, performance and economic features of the aircraft.

The innovative design of the Boeing 787 uses composite materials to lower the weight of the aircraft and reduce maintenance costs as well as increasing fuel efficiency by about 20%. The availability of the Boeing 787, two years earlier than its competitor was also a crucial factor.

The Boeing 787s will be configured into two-class, accommodating between 254 to 320 seats and will be equipped with ultra-modern interior and passenger friendly in-flight entertainment systems.

Ethiopian Airlines has selected GEnx engines made by the General Electric Company (GE) to power its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircrafts. The order is for 20 engines to power the 10 aircraft and 3 spare engines.

This investment for the future is in line with the airline’s strategic plan and will further enhance its competitiveness. Implementation of the fleet renewal project that was initiated in the year 2002 has been completed in July 2005. The recently inaugurated state of the art cargo terminal and maintenance hangar will open the door for more growth opportunities. In a related development, the airline embarked on the implementation of an extensive repositioning project.

This fleet expansion coupled with the inauguration of the new cargo terminal and maintenance hangar is a testament to Ethiopian Commitment towards innovation, enhanced customer service and safety.

PR & Publications
July 19, 2006