Ethiopian Airlines Group announced the completion of passenger to freighter conversion of one of its three Boeing 767-300 aircraft in partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The two companies had launched a Boeing 767-300ER freighter conversion line at Ethiopian MRO facilities in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian introduced these aircraft models in 2004. The conversion is aimed at giving a new lifeline to these ageing airplanes and also makes the Ethiopian MRO center the first maintenance center on the African continent authorized to work on the model. The conversion of the aircraft into freighter also boosts the airline’s cargo shipment capacity and enhance its service. The conversion of the second aircraft has reached an essential stage of door cutting and will be completed in few months.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Israel Aerospace Industries and become the first African carrier to successfully complete the passenger- to -cargo conversion of B767 aircraft. As a fast growing airline, our partnership with IAI, one of the global technology leaders in the Aerospace industry, is crucial in technology and skill transfer in the field of maintenance, repair and overhaul. Ethiopian Airlines is committed to get closer to its customers with high quality cargo services. In addition to our latest freighter fleets, the converted B767 aircraft will augment our growing local and international cargo destinations with more load capacities. We have been working to expand our cargo operation as demand is expected to grow with the establishment of e commerce hub in Addis Ababa. “
Ethiopian Airlines has been hailed for its key role in the global distribution of medical supplies and vaccines. Its cargo wing has served as a life line for the airline during the difficult times of the pandemic. Ethiopian had temporarily converted around 25 of its wide-body passenger aircraft into freighters using its in-house MRO capability which boosted its cargo operations and enabled it to transport around 1 billion doses of Covid- 19 vaccine around the globe.
Currently, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services covers more than 130 international destinations around the world with both belly hold capacity and 67 dedicated Freighter services.
Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services, one of the major strategic business units within Ethiopian Airlines Group, won Best Cargo Airline-Africa and Cargo Airline of the Year at the Air Cargo News Awards 2022.
