Ethiopian Achieves Major MRO Breakthrough with First A350-900 Full Strip and Paint Program in Africa

Ethiopian Airlines, the leading carrier in Africa and one of the fastest-growing airline brands globally, is proud to announce the successful completion of Africa’s first full strip-and-paint program of the Airbus A350-900 aircraft on two of its aircraft, marking a significant advancement in Ethiopian MRO’s capacity, technical expertise, and commitment to operational excellence. This achievement marks yet another milestone following the recent development of full strip-and-paint capabilities on the Boeing 787 fleet composite painting capability.

Appreciating the major accomplishment, Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, remarked: “The successful execution of our full strip-and-paint project on two of our A350-900 aircraft coupled with the completion of paint capability on the B787 earlier this year, marks a significant step forward in Ethiopian’s in-house widebody advanced composite structure paint capabilities. This project is yet another milestone which reflects Ethiopian’s ongoing commitment to investing in world-class MRO capabilities, strengthening our operational resilience, enhancing our self-reliance, and elevating our global standing. Beyond saving costs, this achievement enables us to generate additional revenue and reinforce our position as a leading MRO service provider in the continent and the region.”

As one of the leading aircraft maintenance service providers in the continent and the Middle East, Ethiopian MRO has been offering top-notch aircraft maintenance services, including advanced aircraft and aircraft parts painting and coating solutions through its modern paint shop and state-of-the-art dedicated paint hangar for nearly six decades, serving not only Ethiopian Airlines’ own fleet but also third-party customers.

Currently, Ethiopian Airlines possesses comprehensive in-house aircraft painting and specialized multi-layer coating capabilities on both advanced composite and aluminum airframes, across its entire fleet, enabling the airline to efficiently handle painting and coating projects using highly advanced application methods like High-Volume Low-Pressure (HVLP) and electrostatic systems spraying.

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