Ethiopian Airline will fly Africa's first Boeing 787
Africa's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner will belong to Ethiopian Airlines, set to touch down in Addis Ababa on August 17, announced the airline on Thursday.
The 787, Boeing's most advanced plane currently only operated by two other Japanese carriers, flies out of Seattle, Washington on Tuesday and its maiden flight the following weekend, dubbed 'The Dream Tour,' will carry 250 VIPs around Mount Kilimanjaro on the Tanzania-Kenya border.
According to the airline’s CEO, Tewolde Gebemariam, in an interview with Associated Press, Ethiopian Airlines has ordered 10 Boeing 787s, five of which will be in service before the end of the year, with the remaining five expected in early 2014.
The Dreamliners will be put on African routes to Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe initially, before flying out to other international destinations like Dubai, London and Frankfurt.
"Ethiopian Airlines is a truly indigenous African airline, which has been pioneering the African aviation for the last 67 years and it is only natural for us to deploy our first B787 in Africa," said Gebremariam in a statement to the press. "In affirmation of its commitment as Africa’s flagship carrier, we are naming our first B787 Dreamliner as 'Africa First'."
The 787, Boeing's most advanced plane currently only operated by two other Japanese carriers, flies out of Seattle, Washington on Tuesday and its maiden flight the following weekend, dubbed 'The Dream Tour,' will carry 250 VIPs around Mount Kilimanjaro on the Tanzania-Kenya border.
According to the airline’s CEO, Tewolde Gebemariam, in an interview with Associated Press, Ethiopian Airlines has ordered 10 Boeing 787s, five of which will be in service before the end of the year, with the remaining five expected in early 2014.
The Dreamliners will be put on African routes to Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe initially, before flying out to other international destinations like Dubai, London and Frankfurt.
"Ethiopian Airlines is a truly indigenous African airline, which has been pioneering the African aviation for the last 67 years and it is only natural for us to deploy our first B787 in Africa," said Gebremariam in a statement to the press. "In affirmation of its commitment as Africa’s flagship carrier, we are naming our first B787 Dreamliner as 'Africa First'."
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