• Ethiopian Airlines maintenance facility to service Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprops
• Complements Bombardier’s new Regional Support Office (RSO) and parts depot in Johannesburg, South Africa

Bombardier Aerospace added further bench strength to its fast growing support network in Africa today by naming one of the continent’s leading carriers, Ethiopian Airlines of Addis Ababa, as an Authorized Service Facility (ASF) for commercial aircraft. Bombardier has signed a Letter of Intent to authorize the airline to perform line and heavy maintenance on Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft. The agreement is expected to take effect by late August.

Ethiopian Airlines operates modern and complete aircraft, engine and component overhaul and repair facilities at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. The facility employs an all-Ethiopian workforce of over 750 licensed technicians and support staff.

“This agreement with Ethiopian Airlines – one of Africa’s most respected airlines and a valued Bombardier customer – will provide the growing number of Bombardier operators in this region with more options for high quality maintenance support closer to their base of operations,” said Éric Martel, President, Customer Services and Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft, Bombardier Aerospace. “We are enthusiastic about the many new opportunities for commercial aviation in Africa and, through sustained investment and focus, we are expanding our support services on the continent at an accelerated pace.”

Established in 1945, award-winning Ethiopian Airlines is the flagship carrier of Ethiopia. In 2012, the airline received one of Bombardier’s top honours – an Airline Reliability Performance Award – for outstanding dispatch reliability on its Q400 aircraft fleet. Last November, the airline became the first to take delivery of Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners outfitted with a dual-class configuration on Bombardier’s production line. These five dual-class aircraft are currently in service with the airline and its affiliate, ASKY Airlines of Togo. In total, the carriers operate a fleet of 13 Q400 and Q400 NextGen airliners.

This announcement closely follows earlier news that Bombardier is establishing a full service Regional Support Office at the Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa and will open a 2,153 square-foot (200 square metres) parts depot there by the end of this year.

More than 240 Bombardier business and commercial jets are based in Africa. Ethiopian Airlines will join a network of more than 60 ASF and Line Maintenance Facilities (LMF) that serve operators of Bombardier business and commercial aircraft spanning across more than 25 countries worldwide. The new Ethiopian Airlines ASF will work in close collaboration with Bombardier’s maintenance network of wholly owned service centres and ASFs in the same time zone, as well as its network of parts hubs and depots, including the newly announced Johannesburg parts depot, which will be operational 24/7.

Bombardier press release