Ethiopian Airlines will start manufacturing aircraft parts in a joint venture with Boeing at an initial cost of $15 million, the government’s investment agency said on Friday.
The common carrier, which is the largest from Africa, has already signed the deal which also involves the local industrial parks development company, the Ethiopian Investment Commission said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The company will manufacture “aerospace parts, including aircraft thermal-acoustic insulation blankets, electrical wiring harnesses and other parts”the commission said. “The investment project is expected to create job opportunities for over 300 Ethiopians”she added.
The commission did not say when production will begin. There was no immediate comment from Boeing. Other African carriers like Kenya Airways have stated that a shortage of parts, caused by the crisis of the war in ukraine, who cut off the supply russian titanium which is an important part of global aviation, has caused flight disruptions.
Ethiopian Airlines, which has a fleet of 140 planes, said in June its profits rose by a fifth to $6.1 billion in its last fiscal year.
