Etiopien er meget andet end sultende mennesker og børn med tænkstik-arme – det blev anskueliggjort, da landet modtog et af verdens mest avancerede passagerfly – kun japanerne har det også.
Ethiopia has become the second country after Japan to take delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, BBC online reports Friday.
Ethiopian Airlines has bought 10 of Boeing’s flagship aircraft, which are built from lightweight material, rather than aluminium, to save fuel.
Despite the pouring rain, a marching band gave a fitting welcome as the first plane arrived in Addis Ababa, the capital.
“As a continent this shows how much we are making progress as Africans… competing on the global stage and changing our image,” Ethiopian Airline head Tewolde Gebremariam said at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport.
The aircraft are supposed to cost 200 million US dollar each but airlines rarely pay this price, especially for bulk (store) orders.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways are the only two airlines already operating Dreamliner aircraft.
State-owned Ethiopian Airlines serves 69 international destinations. It is one of Africa’s biggest airlines and has a good safety record, BBC notes.
