Ethiopian Airlines Completes Conversion of B767 Passenger Aircraft into Freighter
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian Airlines Group has announced the completion of a passenger-to-freighter conversion of one of its three B767 aircraft.
in partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Ethiopian Airlines launched the B767-300ER freighter conversion line at its Maintenance, Repairs, and Operations (MRO) wing in Addis Ababa in April 2022. The airline introduced the B767 aircraft model in 2004.
– ‘Thrilling collaboration’ –
The conversion is aimed at replacing these aging airplanes with ultramodern and technologically-advanced passenger aircraft to provide the utmost comfort and convenience for passengers.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew was “thrilled to collaborate” with Israel Aerospace Industries and became 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,” the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group said.
Ethiopian has officially completed the conversion of one of its three B767 aircraft today. The conversion of the second aircraft has reached an essential stage of door cutting and will be completed in a few months, the airlines said.
– ‘A Boost to Cargo Services‘ –
Its officials expect the conversion of the aircraft into a freighter to boost the airline’s cargo shipment capacity and enhances its service.
“In addition to our latest freighter fleets, the converted B767 aircraft will augment our growing local and international cargo destinations with more load capacities,” Mesfin said.
“We have been working to expand our cargo operation as demand is expected to grow with the establishment of an e-commerce hub in Addis Ababa,” he added.
Ethiopian Airlines’ cargo wing has served as a lifeline for the airline during the difficult times of the pandemic. Around 25 of its wide-body passenger aircraft were temporarily converted into freighters using its in-house MRO capability. The move boosted its cargo operations and enabled it to transport around 1 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine around the globe.
Currently, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Service cover more than 130 international destinations around the world with both belly hold capacity and 67 dedicated Freighter services.
