Ethiopian Airlines considers second flight

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES’ cargo facilities at Addis Ababa airport were on parade when the carrier recently conducted a familiarisation programme for SA airfreight agents, according to Stuart Tonkin, GM of the airline’s local cargo general sales and service agency, ACR. Also in the spotlight was the airline’s current freighter service to Johannesburg, with agents meeting top management of Ethiopian Airlines to discuss future business potential. A Boeing B747-200F freighter – one of two leased from Southern Air – flies into OR Tambo International Airport (Ortia) in Johannesburg on a weekly schedule, an extension of one of the airline’s daily flights of Ethiopian flowers to Brussels in Belgium. “There are talks about increasing this service with a second flight in the very near future,” Tonkin added. “The aircraft is available for charter into Africa as well as the normal scheduled services on the Ethiopian Airlines network.” The airline has also placed orders for two of its own MacDonnel Douglas MD-11F freighters – and expects delivery of the first aircraft in early 2009.