Ethiopian Airlines announced the development of full airframe maintenance capability for Bombardier’s Q100, Q200 and Q300 turboprop airplanes in addition to its existing Q400 aircraft capability.
Ethiopian MRO facility was granted the approval from the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) and the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in January 2013.
Ethiopian huge investment in facility expansion, equipment, training of personnel, and approved maintenance data has enabled the airline to acquire such capability. Ethiopian is also working with Bombardier to continue expanding on this MRO cooperation.
“The approval of the airframe maintenance capability for the full range of Bombardier’s Dash8*/Q-Series* airplanes, the construction of our two new maintenance hangars, the expansion of our engine maintenance facilities and our training program for large number of aircraft technicians and engineers will reposition Ethiopian MRO Services as a major and leading player in Africa. In line with our Vision 2025 strategic road map, Ethiopian MRO Services will be one of the seven Strategic Business Units of the Ethiopian Aviation group, along with International Passengers Services, Domestic and Regional Passenger Services, Ethiopian Cargo, Ethiopian Aviation Academy, Ethiopian Ground Services and Ethiopian Flight Catering. With these new approvals of the maintenance capability, Ethiopian MRO Services will now confidently market its services to sister airlines in the region,” said Tewolde GebreMariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines.
The Q100, Q200 and Q300 turboprops are popular in Africa and are widely used by regional operators in the continent. With this capability, Ethiopian MRO provides efficient and affordable maintenance services to operators of the Dash8/Q-Series family of aircraft in Africa and the Middle East.
Presently, Ethiopian MRO has full airframe maintenance capacity on Boeing 777, 767, 757, 737NGs, 737 Classic, Bombardier Q400 and MD-11 model aircraft. Moreover, it is making significant investment to expand its capabilities on engines and components.