By Victor Shalton
Ethiopian Airlines, Boeing Formulate 787 Landing Gear Exchange Program
Boeing recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Ethiopian Airlines that enables the airline to bring cost-saving measures to its maintenance operations with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner landing gear exchange program.
The new agreement — signed at the ongoing Dubai Air Show — guarantees the availability of 29 landing gear shipsets wherever and whenever they are needed to support Ethiopian’s 787 Dreamliner fleet, enabling more efficient and cost-effective maintenance operations for the carrier.
“As the fastest growing airline in Africa, much of our success depends on our ability to seek out new ways to drive operational efficiency in our processes,” Tewolde GebreMariam, Group Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Airlines, said.
The Boeing 787 landing gear exchange program greatly simplifies the contracting, scheduling and management of the landing gear overhaul process.
“As the commercial airline market continues to recover, we believe these services offered by Boeing provide a reliable way to realize more stability and predictability in managing our overall maintenance operations and costs across our fleet,” Gebremariam added.
Through this program, air carriers can quickly exchange landing gears that need to be repaired or overhauled with a replacement set of certified landing gear from a dedicated resource pool which Boeing maintains.
“We value our long-standing relationship with Ethiopian Airlines, and are pleased to be able to provide these reliable and cost-effective services to help drive efficiency in maintenance and flight operations for their fleet,”Anbessie Yitbarek, Vice President of Commercial Services Sales and Marketing, Boeing, said
By managing all parts, engineering and technical aspects of the program, Ethiopian Airlines will have the flexible exchange solution they need to repair and replace landing gear while lowering inventory costs. Boeing will also provide access to loaner Landing Gear shipsets and parts during unexpected AOG situations.
Boeing acknowledged liability for compensatory damages in lawsuits filed by families of the 157 people killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash.
The American aircraft manufacturer said last week that it is “committed to ensuring that all families who lost loved ones in the accidents are fully and fairly compensated for their loss,” as reported by Reuters.
Lawyers for the victims noted in a statement last week that Boeing admitted under the agreement “that the 737 MAX had an unsafe condition, and that it will not attempt to blame anyone else” for the crash.
Under the agreement with Boeing, the victims’ families also agreed to dismiss claims against Rosemount Aerospace — a company that made sensors for the 737 MAX — and Raytheon Technologies Corp’s Rockwell Collins, the parent of Rosemount and a key supplier for the MAX.
Victor Shalton’s love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.
