Ethiopian Airlines has signed an agreement with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada for the purchase of two DHC Dash 8-400 Freighter Large Cargo Door (F-LCD) conversion kits, with the option for two more.
On Wednesday (July 20, 2022), from the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow, De Havilland Canada announced that Ethiopian Airlines has signed an agreement for the purchase of up to four DHC Dash 8-400 Freighter Large Cargo Door (F-LCD) conversion kits, with two orders and an option for two additional kits. De Havilland Canada’s Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft has logged over 11 million flight hours, transporting more than 570 million passengers in the fleets of over 70 owners and operators worldwide. At this time, both parties are working to finalize a definitive and binding agreement.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Ethiopian Airlines Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew, said,
“Cargo has played a pivotal role in Ethiopian Airlines’ operations over the past couple of years, and will remain a key growth pillar of our business over the coming years. The pandemic and subsequent recovery efforts have given rise to significant opportunities in the cargo space and we see great value in converting our older Dash 8-400 fleet to freighters to capitalize on these growing opportunities.” Also commenting on the conversion kit agreement, De Havilland Canada’s Vice President – Customer Experience, Phillipe Poutissou, said,
“Ethiopian’s proposal with De Havilland Canada is a superb testament to the versatility of the Dash 8-400 aircraft to satisfy a wide variety of operational requirements and we thank Ethiopian for this confidence in the aircraft’s capability. The Dash 8-400 aircraft’s industry-leading operating costs and environmental footprint, as well as its outstanding performance and large cabin volume have facilitated our introduction of a series of freighter options -- including Quick Change, Package Freighter and LCD Freighters -- to better serve the expanding cargo market.
“We are also excited to announce our partnership with Ethiopian to offer Dash 8 freighter conversions through their experienced MRO – already a De Havilland Canada Authorized Service Facility. This conversion capability will support Ethiopian’s fleet needs and can be offered to other Dash 8 aircraft operators in Africa and neighbouring regions as an additional choice to the conversions De Havilland Canada can perform in Canada or through our Mobile Repair Team.”
With over 75 years of operations, Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing airline in Africa. The carrier commands the largest share of Pan-African passenger and cargo service and operates one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the world. Ethiopian serves over 130 destinations across five continents with a fleet of ultra-modern fuel efficient aircraft including Airbus A350s, Boeing 787-8/9 Dreamliners, Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 777-200LRs, Boeing 777-200 Freighters and De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s. The airline’s fleet has an average age of seven years and Ethiopian was the first African carrier to operate all of the previously mentioned aircraft types.
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (De Havilland Canada) has delivered over 5,000 aircraft since their foundation. The company is well established across the world and their dedicated team of aviation professionals are committed to advancing the company’s nearly 100 year old reputation for excellence, innovation and customer support. DHC Aircraft operate reliability in some of the world’s harshest environments, helping to maintain essential connections between rural communities and city centres for both passengers and cargo. De Havilland Canada aircraft are also well suited for a range of special missions such as aerial firefighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation, reconnaissance and coastal surveillance. As of February 2022, De Havilland Canada became the operating brand for the group of companies that previously operated as Longview Aviation, Viking Air Limited, Pacific Sky Training and De Havilland Canada.
Source(s): De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited, Ethiopian Airlines