In a ceremony in Seattle, Washington today, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo celebrated another first in its history when it officially took delivery of their first (and Africa's first) of six Boeing 777F (MCN: 41846 | ET-APS) freighters. The first two 777Fs (i.e this one and the next) are on a 10 year dry lease contract from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).
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| Ethiopian Airlines Cargo's first Boeing 777F 'ET-APS' (billiam) |
On the occasion, Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam said:
"The B777 Freighter aircraft has unparalleled performance in its category fleet with its long-range capability, exceptional cargo uplift, special capabilities in temperature control for fresh produce and life science materials, and fuel efficiency. As a result, we will deploy this aircraft on longer routes for carriage of flowers, fruits and vegetables with the aim of expanding and improving our cargo service in support of our national fast growing exports."
The aircraft will be ferried to Addis Ababa's Bole Airport on September 20, 2012 where a major reception will be hosted at the airport cargo terminal for various government officials, investors,
exporters, media and other invited guests.
The addition of the 777F to Ethiopian's growing cargo fleet, which presently consists of two Boeing
747-200F, two Boeing 757-200PCF and two McDonnell Douglas MD-11Fs, will allow the Ethiopian carrier to expand its network
of 15 destinations in Africa, 7 in Middle East and 2 in Europe.