Ethiopian Airlines took charge of the first of the five reconfigured Bombardier Q-400 aircraft it has on order last week.
Ethiopian is the first airline to take charge of the reconfigured aircraft which takes into account a number of innovations based on feedback from customers.
The new innovations include 7 business class and 60 economy class seats with a second lavatory for the exclusive use of business class passengers. The aircraft will have reclining seats and a hot galley to enable the service of hot meals en route.
The Q 400 also has luggage capacity with lower fuel consumption and emission.
Ethiopian expects to deploy the Q400 on regional routes including Entebbe, Berbera, Djibouti, Dar-es-Salam, Mombasa, Khartoum, Juba, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Kigali and Nairobi.It is to be remembered that Ethiopian took charge of its first B 777 Freighter last month. The airline is the first operator to take charge of and operate the new aircraft on the African Continent.
The B777 Freighter aircraft is unique for its performance in its category of aircraft with notable long-range capability, special capabilities in temperature control for fresh produce and life science materials, exceptional cargo capacity and fuel efficiency according to Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines.
The airline intends to deploy this aircraft on longer routes to transport fruits and vegetables and flowers to expand and improve the cargo services it offers as well as supporting the fast growing export sector in the country he said.
Source: Ethiopian Airlines Press Release
