Ethiopian Airlines has officially unveiled the first of its three passenger-to-freighter (P2F) Boeing 767-300ER conversions. Working alongside Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the aircraft was finished late last month at Ethiopian's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Addis Ababa. A second jet is expected within the next few months.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Israel Aerospace Industries and become the first African carrier to successfully complete the passenger-to-cargo conversion of B767 aircraft,” stated Ethiopian Airlines Group (EAG) CEO Mesfin Tasew.

Growing demand

In 2020 after almost 17 years of service, Ethiopian Airlines began phasing out its 767 fleet in favor of more efficient, modern aircraft. Following a sharp rise in demand for cargo services during the pandemic, the flag carrier looked to convert three of its remaining jets with the help of IAI at a new dedicated conversion facility in Addis Ababa. Operations at the facility launched back in May.

At present, the second aircraft is still undergoing conversion, though it has reached an ‘essential stage’ of door cutting and is set to be completed in the coming months. No date has been announced for the completion of the third conversion.

“Ethiopian Airlines is committed to get closer to its customers with high quality cargo services. In addition to our latest freighter fleets, the converted B767 aircraft will augment our growing local and international cargo destinations with more load capacities,” said Tasew.

“We have been working to expand our cargo operation as demand is expected to grow with the establishment of e-commerce hub in Addis Ababa.”

Ethiopian Airlines notably ramped up its cargo services during the early days of the pandemic, converting around 25 of its widebody passenger aircraft into temporary freighters (or ‘preighters') to increase capacity for medical supplies and vaccine shipments.

In the subsequent two years, Ethiopian’s Cargo and Logistics Services has become a major strategic business unit within the airline group and a lifeline for overall operations, helping EAG with a rapid increase in profits. The group currently covers over 130 international destinations, providing cargo operations through a mix of belly hold capacity and its 67-strong dedicated freighter fleet.

Expanding markets

IAI Executive VP and General Manager Yossi Melamed noted the uptick in interest for cargo aircraft following the rise in e-commerce during the pandemic during the announcement of IAI and Ethiopian Airlines’ partnership in August 2021.

The state-owned group has established several similar conversion sites in Israel, Mexico, and Serbia; however, the Addis Ababa conversion center is the largest of its kind in Africa, opening up the opportunity for an IAI expansion into the continent.

“As a fast-growing airline, our partnership with IAI, one of the global technology leaders in the Aerospace industry, is crucial in technology and skill transfer in the field of maintenance, repair and overhaul,” added Tasew.

Ethiopian Airlines’ MRO facility is expected to serve other airlines with individual conversion programs while aiding with knowledge transfer and developing the carrier’s ‘cutting-edge’ services.

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