By Chinedu Eze
Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it has taken delivery of its first B737-800 freighter, the first of its kind in the Ethiopian Cargo fleet mix, on March 01, 2019.
Reacting to the delivery, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, said, “We are excited to have taken delivery of the newest freighter a few days after being crowned with ‘African Cargo Airline of the Year’ and ‘Air Cargo Brand of the Year in Africa’ Awards for the fourth year in a row.
“The arrival of this new freighter is a significant addition and propels both our capacity and frequency. The B-737-800 Freighter will give us a new capability to serve short haul destinations in African and the Middle East more economically which includes the export of Ethiopian meat, fruits and vegetables to the Gulf Region.
“As per our strategic roadmap, Vision 2025, we will keep introducing new systems and technologies and play an indispensable role to the socio-economic development of Ethiopia and Africa at large.”
Developed with the industry’s most efficient and reliable technology, the new B737-800 freighter aircraft is the newest member of the freighter family and offers greatest efficiency for the standard-body freighter market.
The freighter has a carrying capacity of more than 23 metric tons of payload with excellent operating economics to maximise efficiency for cargo operations.
Operating 10 next generation dedicated freighters and with Africa’s largest trans-shipment terminal, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services delivers cargo services spanning across 44 international destinations in Africa, the Gulf, Middle East, Asia, the Americas and Europe, augmenting the export of perishables from Africa and import of high value goods.
By 2025, Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services envisions to become a full-fledged profit center of Ethiopian Airlines Group with annual revenue of US$ 2 Billion, 19 dedicated aircraft, annual tonnage of 820,000, and 57 international destinations.
