[UPDATE 17 MAY] Believing Boeing will have a "pleasant surprise" in store for the global aviation community next week, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has tentatively scheduled its Boeing 787-8s to resume operations from April 25 with Dubai lined up as the Dreamliner's first potential destination.
According to news reports out of Addis Ababa, senior Boeing executives are due in the Ethiopian capital next week to announce "the positive results of their work", which will likely see the troubled Boeing 787, grounded since late Janauary as a result of nagging Lithium-ion battery issues, back in the air.
AirlineRoute reports the airline's first Dreamliner flight will be to Dubai.
As per the 18APR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, latest changes to planned Boeing 787 service resumption date as follow:
Addis Ababa – Dubai
Addis Ababa – Dubai
- Boeing 787 service scheduled to resume from 25APR13, operating 2 of 3 daily flights
- ET602 ADD1055 – 1530DXB 788 D
- ET600 ADD2215 – 0300+1DXB 788 D
- ET612 ADD2300 – 0335+1DXB 738 D
- ET601 DXB0430 – 0745ADD 788 D
- ET613 DXB0435 – 0750ADD 738 D
- ET603 DXB1730 – 2055ADD 788 D
From 01JUN13, ET operates 7 weekly flights
Addis Ababa – Johannesburg
Addis Ababa – Johannesburg
- Boeing 787 resumes operation from 16JUN13, instead of 01MAY13 (767 operating from 01MAY13 to 15JUN13)
Addis Ababa – Mumbai
- Boeing 787 resumes operation from 16MAY13, instead of 01MAY13 (767 operating from 01MAY13 to 15MAY13)
Ethiopian Airlines retains its plan to resume Boeing 787 service on following routes on/from 01MAY13:
- Addis Ababa – Harare – Lusaka – Addis Ababa ET873 4 weekly
- Addis Ababa – Lusaka – Harare – Addis Ababa ET863 3 weekly
- Addis Ababa – Washington Dulles 5 of 7 weekly (04MAY13 to 17MAY13 only)
Ethiopian Airlines retains its plan to resume Boeing 787 service on following route on/from 15JUN13:
- Addis Ababa – Frankfurt 1 Daily
Planned Boeing 787 resumption dates remain subject to change, in particular for Dubai, Harare, Lusaka and Washington, as the US FAA has not announced when it’ll end the Dreamliner grounding.
Ethiopian Airlines retains its plan to resume Boeing 787 service on following routes on/from 01MAY13:
- Addis Ababa – Harare – Lusaka – Addis Ababa ET873 4 weekly
- Addis Ababa – Lusaka – Harare – Addis Ababa ET863 3 weekly
- Addis Ababa – Washington Dulles 5 of 7 weekly (04MAY13 to 17MAY13 only)
Ethiopian Airlines retains its plan to resume Boeing 787 service on following route on/from 15JUN13:
- Addis Ababa – Frankfurt 1 Daily
Planned Boeing 787 resumption dates remain subject to change, in particular for Dubai, Harare, Lusaka and Washington, as the US FAA has not announced when it’ll end the Dreamliner grounding.
Source [AirlineRoute]
[UPDATE 24 APRIL] The Ethiopian press reports that it will take six days to fix each battery on the 787 taking a total of 24 days to fix all the batteries of Ethiopian's four Dreamliner aircraft.
According to Airline Route, Ethiopian Airlines has revised its planned Boeing 787 operations, cancelling its plan to resume Dreamliner service tomorrow (25APR13) to Dubai, while adding a one-off service to Nairobi on Saturday 27APR13. In addition, ET is moving forward its planned 787 resumption to Frankfurt by 6 weeks, which will now begin on Sunday 28APR13.
Latest Boeing 787 schedule revision as follow.
Addis Ababa – Nairobi
- Boeing 787 to operate one-off service on 27APR13 as ET801/800 (Nairobi – Bujumbura sector is cancelled)
Addis Ababa – Frankfurt
- Boeing 787 service resumes (on this route) from 28APR13, instead of 15JUN13
The airline previously planned to resume Boeing 787 service on Addis Ababa – Dubai route from 25APR13, this is now cancelled. As of 24APR13, tentative Boeing 787 operation to Dubai as follow:
[UPDATE 07 MAY] Ethiopian Airlines on Tuesday 07MAY13 filed last-minute Boeing 787 aircraft operation changes, which sees the Boeing 787 aircraft assigned on Addis Ababa – Washington Dulles route starting tonight (07MAY13), 9 days earlier than planned. Addis Ababa – Toronto will also see the return of Dreamliner service from 10MAY13.
Addis Ababa – Washington Dulles (Outbound via Rome)
As a result of the last-minute aircraft re-deployment, planned Boeing 787 service to London Heathrow from 08MAY13 to 15JUN13, is cancelled, as Boeing 767-300ER will continue to operate this route. In addition, the Addis Ababa – Frankfurt service from 09MAY13 to 15JUN13 will be operated by Boeing 767-300ER, instead of Boeing 787.
Addis Ababa – London Heathrow
Addis Ababa – Frankfurt
[UPDATE 17 MAY] AirlineRoute has issued another update regarding ET's planned 787 resumption. As per the 17MAY13 GDS timetable/inventory display, the latest changes to Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 787 operation for the month of May and June 2013 are as follows.
Addis Ababa – Frankfurt
- eff 01JUL13 Boeing 787 operates daily, previously scheduled from 16JUN13
Addis Ababa – London Heathrow
- eff 01JUL13 Boeing 787 operates 6 weekly, previously scheduled from 16JUN13
Addis Ababa – Mumbai
- Boeing 787 operating until 30JUN13 (BOM until 01JUL13), 767 operating from 01JUL13
Addis Ababa – Washington Dulles
- Boeing 787 operating service extended till 24JUN13 (25JUN13 from IAD)
Following planned Boeing 787 operation remains unchanged:
Addis Ababa – Dubai
- Up to 2 daily flights
Addis Ababa – Harare – Lusaka – Addis Ababa
- ET873 3 weekly
Addis Ababa – Lusaka – Harare – Addis Ababa
- ET883 4 weekly
Addis Ababa – Toronto
- 2 weekly until 16JUN13, 1 weekly from 19JUN13
Ethiopian Airlines is also scheduling one-off Boeing 787 service on following routes:
Addis Ababa – Abuja
- 31MAY13
Addis Ababa – Nairobi – Bujumbura
- 18MAY13 / 20MAY13
As a result of further changes to planned Boeing 787 operation, following ET service is also affected:
Addis Ababa – Lagos
- Boeing 767-300ER replaces 777-200LR on daily basis until 30JUN13 inclusive
[UPDATE 24 APRIL] The Ethiopian press reports that it will take six days to fix each battery on the 787 taking a total of 24 days to fix all the batteries of Ethiopian's four Dreamliner aircraft.
Boeing’s technical team is led by Denis Lucas, head of Boeing’s Addis Ababa office. Rob Faye, director, international sales, also arrived in Addis Ababa on Monday. Randy Tinseth, VP marketing, was supposed to arrive here on Monday but his trip was postponed since FAA delayed its approval. Randy and Boeing’s corporate communication head, Adam Morgan, will come to Addis Ababa next week to witness Ethiopian B787's first flight after the modification work is done.Source [TheReporter]
According to Airline Route, Ethiopian Airlines has revised its planned Boeing 787 operations, cancelling its plan to resume Dreamliner service tomorrow (25APR13) to Dubai, while adding a one-off service to Nairobi on Saturday 27APR13. In addition, ET is moving forward its planned 787 resumption to Frankfurt by 6 weeks, which will now begin on Sunday 28APR13.
Latest Boeing 787 schedule revision as follow.
Addis Ababa – Nairobi
- Boeing 787 to operate one-off service on 27APR13 as ET801/800 (Nairobi – Bujumbura sector is cancelled)
Addis Ababa – Frankfurt
- Boeing 787 service resumes (on this route) from 28APR13, instead of 15JUN13
The airline previously planned to resume Boeing 787 service on Addis Ababa – Dubai route from 25APR13, this is now cancelled. As of 24APR13, tentative Boeing 787 operation to Dubai as follow:
- ET602/603: 26APR13, 03MAY13 – 30MAY13
- ET600/601 (ADD departure): 26APR13 / 27APR13, 02MAY13 – 30MAY13
[UPDATE 07 MAY] Ethiopian Airlines on Tuesday 07MAY13 filed last-minute Boeing 787 aircraft operation changes, which sees the Boeing 787 aircraft assigned on Addis Ababa – Washington Dulles route starting tonight (07MAY13), 9 days earlier than planned. Addis Ababa – Toronto will also see the return of Dreamliner service from 10MAY13.
Addis Ababa – Washington Dulles (Outbound via Rome)
- ET500 ADD2215 – 0325+1FCO0425+1 – 0830+1IAD 788 D
- ET501 IAD1100 – 0730+1ADD 788 D
- ET502 ADD2240 – 0350+1FCO0450+1 – 0910+1YYZ 788 15
- ET503 YYZ1120 – 0730+1ADD 788 26
As a result of the last-minute aircraft re-deployment, planned Boeing 787 service to London Heathrow from 08MAY13 to 15JUN13, is cancelled, as Boeing 767-300ER will continue to operate this route. In addition, the Addis Ababa – Frankfurt service from 09MAY13 to 15JUN13 will be operated by Boeing 767-300ER, instead of Boeing 787.
Addis Ababa – London Heathrow
- ET700 ADD0010 – 0650LHR 763 35
- ET700 ADD0035 – 0715LHR 763 67
- ET700 ADD0235 – 0915LHR 763 4
- ET710 ADD1000 – 1510FCO1610 – 1750LHR 763 1
- ET701 LHR2100 – 0700+1ADD 763 134567
Addis Ababa – Frankfurt
- ET706 ADD1015 – 1635FRA 763 D
- ET707 FRA2205 – 0615+1ADD 763 D
[UPDATE 17 MAY] AirlineRoute has issued another update regarding ET's planned 787 resumption. As per the 17MAY13 GDS timetable/inventory display, the latest changes to Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 787 operation for the month of May and June 2013 are as follows.
Addis Ababa – Frankfurt
- eff 01JUL13 Boeing 787 operates daily, previously scheduled from 16JUN13
Addis Ababa – London Heathrow
- eff 01JUL13 Boeing 787 operates 6 weekly, previously scheduled from 16JUN13
Addis Ababa – Mumbai
- Boeing 787 operating until 30JUN13 (BOM until 01JUL13), 767 operating from 01JUL13
Addis Ababa – Washington Dulles
- Boeing 787 operating service extended till 24JUN13 (25JUN13 from IAD)
Following planned Boeing 787 operation remains unchanged:
Addis Ababa – Dubai
- Up to 2 daily flights
Addis Ababa – Harare – Lusaka – Addis Ababa
- ET873 3 weekly
Addis Ababa – Lusaka – Harare – Addis Ababa
- ET883 4 weekly
Addis Ababa – Toronto
- 2 weekly until 16JUN13, 1 weekly from 19JUN13
Ethiopian Airlines is also scheduling one-off Boeing 787 service on following routes:
Addis Ababa – Abuja
- 31MAY13
Addis Ababa – Nairobi – Bujumbura
- 18MAY13 / 20MAY13
As a result of further changes to planned Boeing 787 operation, following ET service is also affected:
Addis Ababa – Lagos
- Boeing 767-300ER replaces 777-200LR on daily basis until 30JUN13 inclusive