Africa

Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines Celebrate Delivery of First 787-9 Dreamliner

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Ethiopian Airlines celebrated the delivery of the carrier’s first Boeing 787-9. Ethiopian is leasing the Dreamliner through an agreement with AerCap.

Ethiopian’s newest 787 touched down in Addis Ababa following a non-stop 8,354 mile (13,444 km) delivery flight from Boeing’s Everett, Wash., facility. Ethiopian becomes the first carrier in Africa to operate the 787-9 and extends a tradition of setting aviation milestones. Ethiopian became Africa’s first carrier to fly the 787-8 in 2012, and similarly introduced the 777-200LR (Longer Range), 777-300ER (Extended Range) and 777 Freighter.

“We are proud to celebrate yet another first with the introduction of the cutting-edge 787-9 into our young and fast growing fleet,” said Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. “Today, the 787 is the core of our fleet with 20 aircraft in service. Our investment in the latest technology airplanes is part of our Vision 2025 strategy and our commitment to our esteemed customers to offer complete on-board comfort. We will continue to invest in the most advanced aircraft to give our customers the best possible travel experience.”

The 787 Dreamliner is the most innovative and efficient airplane family flying today. Since 2011, more than 600 Dreamliners have entered commercial services, flying almost 200 million people on more than 560 unique routes around the world, saving an estimated 19 billion pounds of fuel.

Ethiopian Airlines conducted its 32^nd Humanitarian Delivery Flight as part of the 787-9 delivery. In conjunction with the non-profit Seattle Alliance Outreach, Ethiopian transported goods donated by medical organizations in the U.S. to Black Lion Hospital and St. Paul Hospital in Ethiopia.

Courtesy ; Boeing

Africa

IndiGo To Start 6 New Flights To Africa Central Asia

IndiGo is getting ready to expand internationally by adding six additional locations in Asia and Africa.

From Mumbai, the airline will offer direct flights in late July or early August connecting Nairobi, Kenya, and Jakarta, Indonesia. Additionally, Delhi will have connections to Baku, Azerbaijan, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, as well as Almaty, Kazakhstan, in September and Tbilisi, Georgia, in August.

In order to meet the growing demand for international travel from, to, and via India, IndiGo will also add 174 additional weekly international flights between June and September of this year. These flights will include new destinations, routes, and frequencies.

Air India To Launch Non-Stop Flights From India To 6 Destinations In US, Europe(Opens in a new browser tab)

In August, IndiGo will begin daily service from Delhi to Hong Kong, expanding passenger travel options. When Covid19 struck three years ago, this flight was put on hold; it will now resume.

The next few months will see the launch of more direct international services connecting Dammam to Lucknow, Chennai, and Kochi; Abu Dhabi to Goa, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad; Ras Al Khaimah to Hyderabad; Bahrain to Kochi; and Jeddah to Ahmedabad, bringing more Indian cities closer to Middle Eastern destinations.

“We will be able to increase our footprint across four continents, including our initial expansion into Africa and Central Asia, and the addition of these exciting new destinations, new direct flight routes, increased aircraft frequencies, and strategic codeshare relationships.

IndiGo announces 32 new connecting flights to enhance connectivity between India and Europe(Opens in a new browser tab)

In addition to our 78 domestic destinations, with this network extension, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers noted, “We will now directly touch 32 international destinations (up from 26).” Additionally, he claimed that the airline is carrying out its goal of “Towards New Heights and Across New Frontiers” and is prepared to build unmatched links between people and places.

The development coincides with the government’s initiatives to establish India as a global aviation centre as well as a period of increasing demand for international travel to, through, and from India.

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