Ethiopian to Inaugurate New Perishable Cargo Cold Storage Facility - 07 March, 2013

The new warehouse, built in line with the highest international standards, covers a total area of 3700 sq. meters. It has a capacity to accommodate four aircraft cargo load at one-time. The warehouse has a receiving, skid storage, palatalization, and ULD storage area of 3,500 sq. meters. It has a controlled temperature facility ranging from 2 to 4 degrees centigrade.

It has also easy access for trucks and will be a one stop-shop for our customers, as the adjacent office building has Customs, Security, Quarantine and Ethiopian offices.

"In order to serve the growing exports of perishables in general and horticultural products in particular, we are building new storage and working area facilities and expanding our cargo network and fleet. This is especially good news for exporters of perishable goods such as flowers, vegetables, herbs, fruits and meat. The new perishable cargo warehouse and our new fleet of B777 freighters have special cooling capabilities and temperature control, enabling our exports to reach their destinations while maintaining their quality and freshness," said CEO Tewolde GebreMariam.

"In line with our Vision 2025 and our national obligation to support Ethiopian export growth, we have already placed orders for 4 B777 freighters and are finalizing preparations to build one of the biggest cargo terminals in the world, serving both dry and perishable cargo, with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons", added CEO Tewolde GebreMariam.

Ethiopian, the largest cargo operator in Africa, currently operates six dedicated freighter aircraft to 24 cargo destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia thru its two hubs - in Addis Ababa and Liège, Belgium. It is the first airline in Africa to operate the B777 freighter with its extended range, efficiency and cooling capability.

Ethiopian Cargo is currently at the final stage of transforming into a profit center of the Ethiopian Aviation Group per Vision 2025. By 2025, Ethiopian Cargo plans to uplift 820,000 tons of cargo using 15 dedicated freighters by 2025.

About Ethiopian

Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing airline in Africa, made its maiden international flight to Cairo in 1946 and now the airline provides dependable services to 70 international destinations spanning four continents.

Ethiopian is proud to be a Star Alliance Member. The Star Alliance network is the leading global airline network offering customers convenient worldwide reach and a smoother travel experience. The Star Alliance network offers more than 21,555 daily flights to 1,356 airports in 193 countries.

Ethiopian is a multi-award winner for its commitment and contributions towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry and in recognition of its distinguished long-haul operations enhanced by the introduction of new routes and products. Recently, Ethiopian won "Airline Reliability Performance Award" from Bombardier Aerospace; "African Airline of the Year Award" from Air Transport Quarterly Magazine; "Transformation Award 2012" from Planet Africa Network; "International Diamond Prize for Excellence in Quality" from the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR). Also Captain Desta Zeru, Vice-President of Flight Operations, won "Africa Legend of Travel" award from African Travel Quarterly (ATQ) magazine; and Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, won "African CEO of the year" from the African CEO Forum as well as "African Business Leader of the Year" award from the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA).

With its acquisition of and firm orders for several new modern aircraft, the airline is well positioned to pursue aggressively the implementation of its 2025 strategic plan to become the leading aviation group in Africa.