Latest news with #AirbusA220
Business Insider
14 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Ethiopian Airlines plans major fleet upgrade with order for 20 regional jets
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest and most profitable carrier, is set to purchase at least 20 regional or small narrowbody planes as part of its strategy to grow its domestic fleet and retire aged aircraft. Ethiopian Airlines plans to expand its domestic fleet with at least 20 regional or small narrowbody planes. The airline is currently evaluating aircraft models including Airbus A220, Embraer E-2, and Boeing 737 MAX 7. Challenges such as aircraft delivery delays and engine shortages are affecting operations despite increased demand. The Addis Abeba-based airline is presently testing multiple models, including the Airbus A220, Embraer E-2, and Boeing's yet-to-be-approved 737 MAX 7. While the Boeing 737 MAX 7, one of the contenders for the new regional order, has a larger seating capacity, its certification has yet to be finalized. The actual number of aircraft bought will depend on the type chosen, according to a report seen on Reuters. This strategic move comes as Ethiopian Airlines is witnessing an increase in travel demand while struggling to achieve capacity owing to aircraft delivery delays and ongoing global supply chain problems. Several planes have also been grounded owing to engine shortages, placing pressure on operations even as passenger and cargo numbers increase steadily. "We are receiving airplanes from both Boeing and Airbus, but deliveries have been delayed, some by three months, some six months, some more," CEO Mesfin Tasew Bekele said on the sidelines of an annual IATA meeting of global airline leaders. Boeing delays and forced leasing The Ethiopian Airlines fleet is primarily dominated by Boeing models, however, delays from the United States aircraft manufacturer have created substantial operating issues. In April 2024, Ethiopian Airlines noted that it is waiting for 737 MAX jets and 777 freighters. Due to the continued delays, the airline decided to lease aircraft in August 2024 to sustain its growth trajectory. The supply delays came despite a substantial order announced by Ethiopian Airlines in 2023 to buy 11 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 20 Boeing 737 MAX planes as part of a long-term fleet upgrade strategy. Infrastructure investments for Ethiopian Airlines The desire for additional planes is consistent with Ethiopian Airlines' overall strategy of expanding its infrastructure and services. In March 2025, the airline struck a historic deal with the African Development Bank to work on a new airport project to meet rising demand in both the passenger and cargo markets. With an anticipated $7.8 billion investment, the airport expects to accommodate 60 million people per year by 2040, more than tripling its existing capacity of 17 million. This investment demonstrates the airline's goal to establish itself as a global aviation center that connects Africa to the rest of the globe. Futhermore, in April 2025, Ethiopian Airlines announced a partnership with Archer Aviation of the United States to create an electric air taxi service in the East African country. The service is intended to use Archer's Midnight aircraft, which is a four-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle designed for short-haul urban transport. The program aims to alleviate traffic congestion in East African cities while also lowering carbon emissions, making Ethiopian Airlines one of the first African airlines to aggressively pursue green aviation technologies.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
15 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Ethiopian Airlines considering order for 20 regional jets, CEO says
Ethiopian Airlines is looking to order at least 20 regional or small narrowbody jets as it moves to expand its domestic fleet and replace some ageing aircraft, the airline's chief executive told Reuters on Monday. "We are evaluating three aircraft models, the E-2 from Embraer, the A220 from Airbus, and the 737 MAX 7 from Boeing," CEO Mesfin Tasew Bekele said in an interview. The final order quantity will depend on the type chosen, he added. Boeing's 737 MAX 7, which has a larger seating capacity and sits at the bottom of a larger category than the Airbus A220 and Embraer E-2, is yet to be certified. Africa's largest carrier is experiencing strong travel demand but has been constrained by jet delivery delays and the grounding of some aircraft due to engine shortages stemming from supply chain disruptions. "We are receiving airplanes from both Boeing and Airbus, but deliveries have been delayed, some by three months, some six months, some more," Bekele said on the sidelines of an annual IATA meeting of global airline leaders. The company is also in talks with lessors to bring onboard some jets to ease capacity constraints. The airline is among several facing grounded aircraft due to bottlenecks in engine maintenance plants. Ethiopian has three Boeing 787 widebody jets grounded due to a shortage of Rolls-Royce engines, with five turboprop aircraft grounded due to a shortage of RTX's Pratt & Whitney engines. "Normally engines were supposed to be repaired and returned in three months typically, but now it takes six months or even more to get them repaired and returned," Bekele said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bird vs. baggage handler: How 2 pigeons delayed a Delta flight
A Delta flight departing from Minneapolis had to return to the gate twice after two pigeons caused chaos on the plane. Delta Flight 2348 was delayed by 56 minutes on Saturday because of two stowaway pigeons that were discovered in the plane's main cabin, according to ABC News. The flight was departing from Minneapolis with a destination of Madison, Wisconsin. One of the plane's passengers, Tom Caw, spotted the first pigeon before the flight took off from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. After a flight attendant was told about the bird, the pilot announced the sighting and then returned the plane to the gate so the pigeon could be removed. As the plane taxied out to take off — for a second time — a second pigeon appeared and flew down the main aisle of the cabin, according to NBC. The emergence of a second bird prompted several people to scream. 'Pilot said when he radioed the control tower about us coming back due to a pigeon, the guy said that was a first for him,' Caw wrote, according to NBC. 'Pilot told him it was the second time for him — the first being half an hour earlier.' Video captured by Caw shows that one man attempted to catch one of the pigeons using his jacket, per ABC. The first pigeon was captured and removed by a Delta Air Lines baggage handler who came aboard and found the pigeon walking underneath the seats, reported CBS. When the plane returned to the gate for a second time, a different baggage handler boarded the plane to remove the second pigeon. 'My guess is the pigeons were tired of flying and wanted snacks,' said Caw, according to NBC. 'They didn't know this flight to MSN is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service.' Delta issued a statement on Tuesday apologizing for the delay and disruption. According to ABC, the statement said that the airline 'appreciates the careful actions of our people and our customers to safely remove two birds from the aircraft prior to departure and we apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel.' The plane, an Airbus A220, was carrying 119 passengers and five crew members and successfully made the flight to Dane County Regional Airport in Madison.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Delta fight disrupted by pigeon flying around inside cabin, video shows
A video captured a pigeon flying around the cabin of a Delta plane in Minneapolis, with a passenger shrieking as a man tried to capture the bird with his coat. The incident onboard Delta Flight 2348 late Saturday delayed its arrival in Madison, Wis., for around an hour. "When I boarded Delta Flight 2348 at MSP tonight, I overheard another passenger tell a flight attendant there was a pigeon on the plane. The pilot got on the mic and confirmed a pigeon was on the plane, and said he had no experience with this situation," passenger Tom Caw wrote on Instagram. "Baggage handlers boarded and carried the pigeon off. People applauded. A young girl asked if she could pet it." "The plane eventually pulled away and began taxiing to the runway, and then another pigeon emerged! This is my video of it flying through the cabin," Caw continued. Fedex Plane Catches Fire Midair Before Making Emergency Landing "It was caught, and we returned to the gate. Pilot said when he radioed the control tower about us coming back due to a pigeon, the guy said that was a first for him. Pilot told him it was the second time for him -- the first being half an hour earlier. Another baggage handler boarded and removed it -- still alive," he also said. "My guess is the pigeons were tired of flying and wanted snacks. They didn't know this flight to MSN is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service." Read On The Fox News App Delta Flight Forced To Return To Atlanta Airport After 'Haze' Fills Cabin In a statement to Fox News Digital, Delta said it "appreciates the careful actions of our people and our customers to safely remove two birds from the aircraft prior to departure and we apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel." The plane – an Airbus A220 – was carrying 119 customers and five crew members, a spokesperson added. Fox News Digital's Bonny Chu contributed to this report. Original article source: Delta fight disrupted by pigeon flying around inside cabin, video shows
Straits Times
6 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Bird strike: Stowaway pigeons on Delta flight cause mayhem and almost an hour's delay
Two feathery stowaways ended up inside the cabin of Delta Air Lines Flight 2348 on May 24, delaying the flight twice. PHOTO: SSCREENGRAB FROM TOM CAW/INSTAGRAM Bird strike: Stowaway pigeons on Delta flight cause mayhem and almost an hour's delay Pigeons, a plane, and a flight delayed. Yes, it's a bird strike, but it's not quite exactly what you think. Two feathery stowaways ended up inside the cabin of Delta Air Lines Flight 2348 on May 24, delaying the flight twice and causing mayhem onboard. The first pigeon showed up just after boarding, passenger Tom Caw said in a post on Instagram on May 25. He said he overheard a passenger telling a flight attendant there was a pigeon on the plane. 'Then the pilot got on the mic and confirmed a pigeon was on the plane, and said he had no experience with this situation,' he said. In an interview with US news outlet WWCO News, he recounted the pilot saying : 'We have a wildlife situation on the plane'. 'Everyone at that point started laughing,' added Mr Caw, who was travelling from California to Madison, Wisconsin, when he boarded his connection at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport. The bird was later spotted walking beneath the seats, before baggage handlers boarded the aircraft and carried it off. There was applause from the passengers, Mr Caw said, and a girl asked if she could pet the bird. But as the plane began taxiing towards the runway, a second pigeon appeared and began flying wildly inside the cabin. Mr Caw took a video of a man who tried to pluck the bird out of the air with his jacket , which he later shared on Instagram. 'It was caught, and we returned to the gate,' he said. The Airbus A220, carrying 119 passengers and five crew members, departed from Minneapolis at 10.15am and landed at Madison, Wisconsin at 12.17am , according to Delta later apologised for the disruption. In a statement to ABC News on May 27, the airline confirmed the flight was delayed by 56 minutes. It said it 'appreciates the careful actions of our people and our customers to safely remove two birds from the aircraft prior to departure, and we apologise to our customers for the delay in their travel'. Mr Caw, taking the incident in stride, said the birds were probably just tired of flying without snacks. He quipped: 'They didn't know this flight to (Minnesota) is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
