Second Boeing 787-9 added to Ethiopian Airlines’ fleet

Ethiopian Airlines won ‘Airline of the Year’ award by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA)

Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest aviation groups, has taken delivery of its second Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet, thereby consolidating its foothold in the expanding aviation market.

The SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline took delivery of the Boeing B787-9 in November, making it the second B787-9 aircraft to have joined the fleet. The new Ethiopian flight has been named after the city of London.  Africa’s first Ethiopian B787-9, made operational from October has flown to major cities like Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Kinshasa, Mombasa, Abuja, Madagascar, Dubai and Delhi.

The 2nd Ethiopian Boeing 787-9 is on its way to Africa. #FlyEthiopian #Boeing787-9 #StarAlliance #Boeing pic.twitter.com/EVbabgvzHR

— Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) November 21, 2017

Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing airline in Africa. Its fleet includes a combination of Airbus A350, Boeing 787, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years.

The Ethiopian flag-carrier commands the lion’s share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest fleet to more than 100 international passengers and cargo destinations across five continents. It is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called ‘Vision 2025’ in order to emerge as the leading aviation group in Africa with seven business centres, namely, Ethiopian Express & Ancillary Services; Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; ET In-flight Catering; and Ethiopian Ground Services.

As part of its expansion spree in India, Ethiopian Airlines is adding cargo and passenger service to Ahmedabad and Chennai while increasing its flight capacity to Delhi.

Ethiopian Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that joined the airline’s youngest and most modern operating fleet on October 27, 2017, made its debut flight to India’s capital and metropolitan city of Delhi. A week later, the airline launched the B787-9 Dreamliner operation to Mumbai.

Ethiopian Airlines Wins Airline of the Year Award
Read more: https://t.co/x6RAMdGHjV #OTM2018 #OTMIndia #OTMMumbai #EthiopianAirlines #Africa #AFRAA pic.twitter.com/FhVukUY7sH

— OTM India (@OTMIndia) November 28, 2017

“We are expecting 15 pc increase in passenger traffic and 6-8 pc growth in cargo traffic from India,” stated Esayas Wolde Mariam, managing director, International Services, Ethiopian Airlines.

Tadesse Tilahun, regional director, Indian Sub-continent, Ethiopian Airlines said, “Ethiopian was the first airline to introduce Dreamliner 787-8 to India market in 2012 and Airbus A350-900 XWB in 2017.” He added that India is a strategic market for the airlines and is essential for promoting growing trade and commercial ties between the booming economies of India and Africa by means of deploying the latest fleet and adding capacity on the existing routes.