ALAN PEAT THE AFRICAN carrier Ethiopian Airlines has added two freighters to its fleet to boost its airfreight capacity during the forthcoming horticultural export season. First is a freighter conversion of its previous passenger aircraft, a Boeing 757-200, and second is a leased MD-11 freighter of 85-tonne capacity. Both will join the airline’s other B757-200 freighter on the Ethiopia-Europe airways, with the two Boeings adding their tonnage when the capacity of the MD-11 – flying daily to Brussels – is insufficient to meet the horticultural export volume in the January-May peak season. Horticultural exports recorded a growth of 173% from 2005 to 2006. During the 05-06 financial year, Ethiopian Airlines also carried over 7.5-million kilograms of meat (a 27.9% growth compared with the same period of 04/05) and 5-m kgs of beans (+6.73%).
