One of Africa’s largest carrier, Ethiopian Airlines has announced a joint venture with Boeing to expand the manufacture of aviation components. The unusual movement comes after Boeing and Ethiopian reached an agreement regarding the accident with a Boeing 737 MAX 8 that killed 157 people in March 2019 and precipitated the grounding of the aircraft. In 2021, Boeing and the state-owned airline reached an agreement that involved paying financial compensation and discounts on aircraft purchases. In addition, Boeing anticipated expanding Ethiopian Airlines’ capacity to produce parts for its planes – according to The Seattle Times, the country already supplied the wire harnesses but on a small scale. Ethiopian Airlines has a fleet of more than 140 aircraft, the vast majority provided by Boeing, including 13 737 MAX, which returned to the skies in February 2022.

Source: Ethiopian News August 19, 2023 15:15 UTC