Ethiopian Airlines

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Ethiopian Airlines

IATA ET	ICAO ETH	Callsign ETHIOPIAN
Founded		1945 by Teklemichael Belachew
Hubs		Bole International Airport
Frequent flyer program		Sheba Miles
Fleet size		29
Destinations		45
Headquarters		Addis Ababa
Key people		Girma Wake (CEO)
Website: http://www.flyethiopian.com/

Ethiopian Airlines is the national airline of Ethiopia. The airline is based out of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to 45 destinations world-wide, and passenger and cargo charter flights.

1 History
2 Destinations
3 Incidents and accidents
4 Fleet
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

Ethiopian Airlines Fokker 50 at Lalibela airport

Ethiopian Airlines was founded on December 30, 1945 with assistance from TWA. It commenced operations on April 8, 1946 with a weekly service between Addis Ababa and Cairo with 5 Douglas DC-3 propeller-driven aircraft.

Although it relied on American pilots and technicians at the beginning, by its 25th anniversary in 1971, Ethiopian Airlines was managed and fully staffed by Ethiopian personnel. It has been described by Paul B. Henze as "one of the most reliable and profitable airlines in the Third World",¹ noting that the airline was featured by The Economist as an example of excellence. ² In 1998 it started transatlantic services. Like South African Airways, TAAG, Egyptair, Royal Air Maroc, Tunisair and Kenya Airways it is one of the few profitable African airlines.

The Airline provided service to the Eritrean capital of Asmara for many years until a civil war erupted between the two countries in 1998.

In 2002, the airline carried 1,054,687 passengers. It employed 4,539 staff in January 2005.

The airline calls its frequent flyer program "Sheba Miles" in reference to the legendary Queen of Sheba.

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300ER ET-ALL

[edit] Destinations

Main article: Ethiopian Airlines destinations

[edit] Incidents and accidents

Ethiopian Airlines Fokker 50 ET-AKR

Since 1970, there have been two fatal events involving Ethiopian Airlines aircraft.

On 15 September 1988 an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 taking off from Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, ingested numerous pigeons into both engines. One engine lost thrust almost immediately and the second lost thrust during the emergency return to the airport. During the crash landing, 31 of the 105 passengers were killed.

On 23 November 1996, three hijackers commandeered a Boeing 767 on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961. The flight was on its first leg, on an Addis Ababa, Ethiopia-Nairobi, Kenya-Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo-Lagos, Nigeria-Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire route. The hijackers instructed the pilot to fly to Australia. Flying south along the African coast, fuel reserves ran out and one of the plane's engines stopped. While attempting a landing near Moroni in the Comoros Islands the aircraft ran completely out of fuel and ditched into waters 500m from shore. 123 of the 175 passengers and crew aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 died. All of the hijackers are presumed dead.[1]

[edit] Fleet

**Fleet** (as of 22 March 2007)
Aircraft	Seat Configuration	Registration	Notes
Antonov An-12
Boeing 737-260	16C + 95Y = 111	ET-AJB
Boeing 737-76W	16C + 102Y = 118	ET-ALK
Boeing 737-76W	16C + 102Y = 118	ET-ALM
Boeing 737-76W	16C + 102Y = 118	ET-ALN
Boeing 737-76W	16C + 102Y = 118	ET-ALQ
Boeing 737-76W	16C + 102Y = 118	ET-ALU	leased in
Boeing 757-231	unknown	ET-ALY	leased in, previously with Transmeridian, American, and TWA
Boeing 757-231	unknown	ET-ALZ	leased in, previously with Santa Barbara, American, and TWA
Boeing 757-260PF	Cargo	ET-AJS
Boeing 757-260PF	Cargo	ET-AJX
Boeing 757-260	16C + 142Y = 158	ET-AKC
Boeing 757-260	16C + 142Y = 158	ET-AKE
Boeing 757-260	16C + 142Y = 158	ET-AKF
Boeing 767-260ER	unknown	ET-AIE
Boeing 767-260ER	unknown	ET-AIF
Boeing 767-260ER	unknown	ET-AIZ	Written off November 23, 1996 in Comoros Islands due to fuel starvation.
Boeing 767-33AER	24C + 220Y = 244	ET-ALC	leased in
Boeing 767-3BGER	30C + 206Y = 236	ET-ALL	leased in, previously with Sobelair, Balair
Boeing 767-3BGER	30C + 216Y = 246	ET-ALH	leased in, previously with Balair
Boeing 767-360ER	24C + 218Y = 242	ET-ALJ
Boeing 767-360ER	24C + 218Y = 242	ET-ALO
Boeing 767-360ER	24C + 218Y = 242	ET-ALP
DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300	18Y	ET-AIN
DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300	18Y	ET-AIT
DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300	18Y	ET-AIX
Fokker 50	50Y	ET-AKR
Fokker 50	50Y	ET-AKS
Fokker 50	50Y	ET-AKT
Fokker 50	50Y	ET-AKU
Fokker 50	50Y	ET-AKV

Not counting the earlier Fokker 50 planes, the fleet average age is 8.2 years at June 2006.

In February 2005 Ethiopian Airlines signed a preliminary agreement to buy up to 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (5 firm orders and 5 options). On 31 May 2005 Boeing announced that Ethiopian had exercised its purchase rights and confirmed a firm order for 10 aircraft. Expected delivery of the new planes is between 2008 and 2011.

Ethiopian Cargo operates two Lockheed L-100 freighters. ET Cargo also leases additional aircraft based on traffic requirements. Three of the current four passenger 757-200s are expected to be converted to freighter configuration over the coming years.

[edit] Notes

Paul B. Henze, Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia, (New York: Palgrave, 2000), p. 246.
"In Search of Excellence, the Hard Way", The Economist, 31 December 1987.