Ethiopian Airlines will soon put into service its first 767-300BDSF and the first freighter to be converted with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at the Ethiopian Airlines’ maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in Addis Ababa (ADD).
Ethiopian Airlines’ MRO division began the passenger-to-freighter conversion of the airline’s first Boeing 767-300ER cargo aircraft.
The work, carried out in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), makes it the first maintenance center on the African continent authorized to work on the model. This line joins IAI’s already operational conversion facilities in Tel Aviv and Mexico City.
According to Cargo Facts, the 18-year-old aircraft with serial number unit 33768, which was previously in passenger service with the airline and had been at ADD since September 2021, has now completed the conversion process. The aircraft conducted a test flight on Sept. 19.
The 767-300BDSF is the third freighter type to join Ethiopian’s fleet; however, the airline has signed a memorandum of understanding for five of Boeing’s 777-8Fs, becoming the second known customer of the type.
More recently, Ethiopia signed a deal with De Havilland to convert between two and four of its oldest Dash 8s to become the first known Dash 8-400 freighter conversion customer.
Ethiopian has also committed to increasing its current 777F fleet to as many as fourteen frames, becoming one of the largest customers of that type.
Beyond expanding and diversifying by size segment, Ethiopian has additionally moved to add a different conversion type for its 737-800 freighter fleet. The airline recently took delivery of its first 737-800BCF in May, adding to three 737-800SFs.
