Ethiopia to procure 10 Boeing 787 planes

ADDIS ABABA, Aug 2, 2005 (ENA) — Ethiopian Airlines said on Monday it has begun discussions with Boeing, an airplane manufacturing company, in a bid to procure 10 up-to-date airplanes at a cost of 1.2bn US dollars.

Ethiopian, the national carrier, would be importing Boeing 787, named as the dream liner, from the company, public relations service head with the airlines, Kagnew Fisha, told Ethiopian News Agency.

Kagnew said Ethiopian was one of the 10 airliners worldwide requesting the company for procurement of the new airplanes. According to the public relations officer, the cost of the new airplanes would be secured from foreign banks in loans.

He said Ethiopian has already begun modernizing itself with a view to improving competitiveness in the aviation industry.

Hence, 11 up-to-date airplanes worth over 500m US dollars have been procured and begun services during the last three years, he said.

Boeing would be manufacturing the new airplanes beginning from year 2008, he said, adding the procurement of the new airplanes is part of the second phase of the modernization programme.