2013-02-28 — /travelprnews.com/ — Ethiopian MRO Services is pleased to announce that it has developed shop overhaul capability for the CFM56-3 and CFM56-7 engines. Ethiopian MRO was granted approval for such capabilities from the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) and the USA Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Ethiopian has invested about USD 21million to develop the engine overhaul capacity. The project includes, expansion of the existing Engine Maintenance shop, procurement of the required machineries, equipment and tools, personnel training, upgrading the existing Test Cell etc. The new capability development took almost three years to complete with the assistance of General Electric (GE) Aviation.
“We would like to extend our appreciation and thanks to GE Aviation and Snecma/CFMI who genuinely helped Ethiopian Airlines in making this project successful,” said Mr. Zemene Nega, SVP Ethiopian MRO. “Ethiopian has Engine Overhaul Support Agreement (EOSA) with CFMI, manufacturer of both engines for the continued support of the engine overhaul activities in the Ethiopian Engine Shop.” He added.
The CFM56-3 and CFM56-7 engines are the sole engine models that power the Boeing 737 Classics and the Boeing 737 New Generation (NG) airplanes. Both the 737 Classics and the 737 NGs are widely used in Africa and the Middle East. Ethiopian MRO already has full airframe maintenance capability for both aircraft models. The addition of the CFM56-3 and -7 engines in to the Ethiopian MRO capability will provide airline operators a convenient one stop shopping for their Boeing 737 fleet maintenance requirements.
Ethiopian, per its strategic Road map of Vision 2025, is transforming its MRO facility to become the leading and the most competitive MRO service provider in Africa to support the growth of the air transport service in the region.
Today, it has full airframe maintenance capabilities on Boeing 777, 767, 757, 737NGs, 737 Classic, Q400, and MD-11 model of airplanes. Moreover, it is making substantial investments to expand its capabilities on other 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