Ethiopian Airlines’ new facility will enable it to service the engine used on 737 MAX aircraft. Credit: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.com

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline group and MRO operator, has expanded the capabilities of its maintenance facilities with the inauguration of a CFM Leap-1B engine test cell in Addis Ababa. 

The new test cell at the company’s MRO Services facility in the Ethiopian capital enables the company to offer full testing capability of the engine, which is used on all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. 

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian CEO, said he was proud of the expansion of the facilities, he said: “The addition of this state-of-the-art facility will enable us to finalize the development of Performance Restoration Shop Visit (PRSV1) repair capability on the engine, which is expected to be ready very soon.” 

With the inauguration of the Leap-1B test cell, Ethiopian becomes the first in the Middle East and Africa to service the engine to this level, outside of the Safran Aero Engines and General Electric network. 

The expansion continues the airline’s dominant position in the African MRO market, with the Addis Ababa facility already the largest in the continent and the company expecting to complete phase two of its PRSV1 project by September 2024. 

Ethiopian’s investments come as the African aviation industry looks to build on the growing demand for air travel in the region, which is expected to more than quadruple in the next 20 years as traffic grows above the global average. 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The airline’s other investments have included a fleet growth and modernisation plan which recently saw it place an order for up to 12 777-9 planes with Boeing.