Ethiopian Hosts the 18th African Aviation MRO Conference in Addis Ababa - 24 March, 2009
Ethiopian will proudly host the 18th Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Annual Conference which will be held on March 24 through 25, 2009, preceding the AFRAA Technical and Operations Committee Meeting on March 26, 2009, at the Sheraton Addis. The conference is organized by the African Aviation Magazine in collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines.
The conference will be attended by approximately 200 delegates from various aviation organizations whose profiles read as airline maintenance and engineering professionals along with aircraft manufacturers, maintenance providers, parts’ suppliers, and regulatory authorities. The conference will discuss various issues and views pertinent to the MRO industry, including quality and safety, effective management of aircraft maintenance, costs, market trends, co-operation as well as the provision of new and innovative products and services to the airlines. In general, the conference will review and analyze recent developments and important issues facing the MRO industry in the continent and throughout the world.
The history of MRO dates back to the early 60s during which time the engineers and technicians of Ethiopian Airlines overhauled the jet engine of a JT3D for the first time. Since then, Ethiopian has been developing its MRO capabilities not only to maintain its own aircraft but also to provide the service to other airlines and their customers.
Approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and many other regulatory bodies, Ethiopian’s maintenance base in Addis Ababa provides MRO services to over 75 airlines in Africa and the Middle East. Currently, Ethiopian maintains Boeing 767, 757, 727, and 737 and Fokker 50 model airplanes and their components. In addition, modular and line maintenance services on PW2040 & PW4000 and CFM56-7B engines, as well as full overhaul on JT8D, PW127 and PT6A engines are provided at its 8000 square meters facility.
Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Vice-president of Ethiopian Maintenance & Engineering said, “The MRO service in the African continent is underdeveloped. Ethiopian Airlines is making significant investments on new capabilities and playing its part in filling the gap.”
The conference is expected to give Ethiopian the best chance to promote its passenger and cargo services in general and its maintenance and engineering capabilities in particular.
Ethiopian has made the necessary preparations to ensure the success of the conference.
About Ethiopian
In August 2008 Ethiopian won the 2008 Corporate Achievement Award of Aviation & Allied Business for setting the pace and continued contribution towards the growth of African aviation industry. In addition, Ethiopian is the first African carrier to win the 2008 Brussels Airport Company Award in recognition of its distinguished long haul operations which have been manifested through the development of new routes, new products and close cooperation with Brussels Airport in marketing activities.
Ethiopian also scooped the 2008 Best Airline in Africa Award at the African Travel Award in Lagos, Nigeria for its excellent network and convenient connections in Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines, www.ethiopianairlines.com, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946. With the recent addition of new flight services to Ouagadougou, Lubumbashi, and Abuja, Ethiopian provides dependable services to 33 cities in Africa and a total of 53 international destinations spread across the globe.
