■ ETHIOPIA: ECAA selects Thales' TopSky - Flight Plan to manage flight plan and aeronautical information interfaces.

The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) has announced the selection of the Thales TopSky-ATC Flight Data Processing System (FDPS) component, TopSky–Flight Plan, to manage all critical flight plan and aeronautical information interfaces with internal and external systems as well as airline counterparties.

■ ETHIOPIA: Australia, Ethiopia sign Bilateral Air Services Agreement.

Ethiopia and Australia have reportedly signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Present at the signing ceremony last week was the Director General of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), Colonel Wesenyeleh Hunegnaw, and the Australian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ms Lisa Filipetto.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Q400 reportedly suffers engine problems on finals into Axum; makes a safe landing.

An Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Bombardier Q400 operating a domestic flight ET128 from Addis Ababa to Axum, Ethiopia, on Wednesday, July 17, reportedly suffered engine problems on its port side shortly before touchdown at Axum's Emperor Yohannes IV Airport.

■ VIETNAM: Ethiopia, Vietnam sign Bilateral Air Services Agreement.

Ethiopia and Vietnam have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a Bilateral Air Services Agreement following talks between officials from the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) and the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (Cục Hàng không Dân dụng Việt Nam - CAAV) in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, recently. According to a statement by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, the MoU was signed by Colonel Wossenyeleh Hunegnaw for the ECAA and by his Vietnamese counterpart, Vo Huy Cuong, after two days of discussions held between officials from 11-12  July 2013.

► UNITED KINGDOM: AAIB releases special bulletin on Ethiopian 787 fire as FAA moves to issue Airworthiness Directive for 787 ELTs.

The United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB)has issued a special bulletin pertaining to a fire onboard a parked Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Boeing 787-8 (MSN 34744 | ET-AOP) at London Heathrow Airport last week has been released. According to the report, suspicions thus far point to the aircraft's Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) and its associated system wiring. On the basis of these initial findings and a recommendation from the AAIB, the US Federal Aviation Administration has said it is preparing to issue an Airworthiness Directive in the coming days that would make inspections of all ELTs aboard Boeing 787 aircraft, mandatory.

► UNITED KINGDOM: Fire aboard Ethiopian 787 parked at London Heathrow; carrier to continue 787 ops despite incident.

An Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Boeing 787-8 (MSN 34744 | ET-AOP) has been grounded at London Heathrow airport following an on-board fire which broke out while the aircraft was parked at a remote stand on Friday, July 12, 2013. The aircraft was empty when the incident was observed.

■ ETHIOPIA: ECAA seeks to amend BASAs with numerous African countries in hopes of spurring on Ethiopian Airlines' intra African growth.

Spurred on by its consistent annual growth of 25%, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is seeking to consolidate its position as one of Africa's dominant carriers through the signing and amending of its Bilateral Air Service Agreements the country has with various African countries.

● ETHIOPIA: 100 pilots, cabin crew and ATCOs graduate from the EAA and ECAA ground schools.

Ethiopia's growing aviation education sector this last week added 100 new trained and qualified professionals to the growing local and regional market with the Ethiopian Aviation Academy (EAA) graduating 20 Pilots and 72 Cabin Crew and the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) graduating 8 air traffic controllers.