2013-02-27 — /travelprnews.com/ — Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to announce the development of full airframe maintenance capability for Bombardier’s Q100*, Q200*and Q300*turboprop airplanes in addition to its existing Q400*aircraft capability. Ethiopian MRO facility was granted the approval from the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) and the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in January 2013.
Ethiopian huge investment in facility expansion, equipment, training of personnel, and approved maintenance data has enabled the airline to acquire such capability. Ethiopian is also working with Bombardier to continue expanding on this MRO cooperation.
“The approval of the airframe maintenance capability for the full range of Bombardier’s Dash8*/Q-Series* airplanes, the construction of our two new maintenance hangars, the expansion of our engine maintenance facilities and our training program for large number of aircraft technicians and engineers will reposition Ethiopian MRO Services as a major and leading player in Africa. In line with our Vision 2025 strategic road map, Ethiopian MRO Services will be one of the seven Strategic Business Units of the Ethiopian Aviation group, along with International Passengers Services, Domestic and Regional Passenger Services, Ethiopian Cargo, Ethiopian Aviation Academy, Ethiopian Ground Services and Ethiopian Flight Catering. With these new approvals of the maintenance capability, Ethiopian MRO Services will now confidently market its services to sister airlines in the region,” said Tewolde GebreMariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines.
The Q100, Q200 and Q300 turboprops are popular in Africa and are widely used by regional operators in the continent. With this capability, Ethiopian MRO provides efficient and affordable maintenance services to operators of the Dash8/Q-Series family of aircraft in Africa and the Middle East.
Presently, Ethiopian MRO has full airframe maintenance capacity on Boeing 777, 767, 757, 737NGs, 737 Classic, Bombardier* Q400 and MD-11 model aircraft. Moreover, it is making significant investment to expand its capabilities on engines and components.
About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing airline in Africa, made its maiden international flight to Cairo in 1946 and now the airline provides dependable services to 70 international destinations spanning four continents.
Ethiopian is proud to be a Star Alliance Member. The Star Alliance network is the leading global airline network offering customers convenient worldwide reach and a smoother travel experience. The Star Alliance network offers more than 21,555 daily flights to 1,356 airports in 193 countries.
Ethiopian is a multi-award winner for its commitment and contributions towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry and in recognition of its distinguished long-haul operations enhanced by the introduction of new routes and products. Recently, Ethiopian won “Airline Reliability Performance Award” from Bombardier Aerospace; “African Airline of the Year Award” from Air Transport Quarterly Magazine; “Transformation Award 2012” from Planet Africa Network; “International Diamond Prize for Excellence in Quality” from the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR). Also Captain Desta Zeru, Vice-President of Flight Operations, won “Africa Legend of Travel” award from African Travel Quarterly (ATQ) magazine; and Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, won “African CEO of the year” from the African CEO Forum as well as “African Business Leader of the Year” award from the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA).
With its acquisition of and firm orders for several new modern aircraft, the airline is well positioned to pursue aggressively the implementation of its 2025 strategic plan to become the leading aviation group in Africa.
*Trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
For more information about this press release, please contact:
Manager PR & Publications
Ethiopian Airlines
Tel: (+251-11) 517-89-07, (+251-11) 517-81-65
Fax: (+251-11) 661-14-74
E-mail:publicrelations@ethiopianairlines.com