The Ethiopian Airlines Country manager Ms Bethelehem Fisseha has revealed that the newly acquired state of the art Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, the first in Africa, is set to improve the region’s aviation industry by providing better travel experience for travelers and larger cargo capacity.
“It has a capacity of 364 people in the economy class, 44 people in the business class and over 35 tons of cargo, in the previous aircrafts, like the 777 Airbus-900, if it is full with passengers, we cannot say we can for sure lift that much but with this one, so far we have uplifted up to 26-, 27 tons but if it’s full, it can limit us up to 20, 21 tones” she said.
Ms Fisseha made the remarks while addressing journalists at Entebbe International Airport on Friday, as the airport staff welcomed the new addition to airlines large fleet of airplanes with a water salute.
“Currently we are deploying the aircraft to Europe, America and Asia, where we have a high number of passengers, it can accommodate around 400 in both the cabins, so we are deploying it there. Of course, it is coming to Africa slowly, we are expecting it in Uganda, we have a lot of cargo and passengers traveling, so we expect it soon to come to Entebbe as well” she said.
Ms Fisseha said the airline has so far acquired three Airbus A350-1000 aircrafts to enhance the airlines operations globally.
“It’s a state of art technology can provide our passengers with extra level of comfort and also unforgettable travel experience. So also in terms of Africa, it’s a testament that we can achieve great things as Africans” she said. In January, the new Airbus A350-1000 plane was also used by Ethiopia’s President H.E Taye Atske-Selassie to travel to Uganda to attend the ongoing African Union’s extraordinary summit on the Post Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).
