Airport And Aviation | NEWS AND DISCUSSION

[venezian]

Good progress.. Wonder if ill see any changes when I go back next year.

Sent from my iPad using SSC Forums

[enkelfam]

Samsung clinches multi-million birr Airport project


. Set to establish electronic academy in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE) has selected Samsung—the South Korean electronics goods and gadgets manufacturer—to install videos at the interior walls of the recently built passenger terminal at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

The multi-million birr project is aimed at providing the airport with a state-of-the-art facility to greet its customers and announce flight statements as modern terminals around the globe do, according to George Ferreira, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Samsung Electronics for Africa.

Samsung, which secured the project award recently, is in the meantime in under preparations to establish an electronic engineering academy in Addis Ababa, the COO told journalists from east Africa during a Q and A session at the Samsung Conference 2011 held in Nairobi this week.

“We have been conducting feasibility studies to identify some African countries we shall establish electronics academies,” Ferreira said. “Ethiopia will be one of the few countries where will establish an electronics engineering academy.”

“If all goes according plan,” the COO said, “we might probably launch the project next year.”

According to Ferreira, Samsung envisioned to produce 10,000 electronics engineers from Africa in the coming five years, who are expected to take care of Samsung’s production operations in Africa.

Samsung is geared forward to producing electronic goods and gadgets (including TVs, mobile phones and related products) tailored for Africa as the theme of Samsung Conference 2011 goes: Built in Africa, for Africa, by Africa.

Samsung representatives for Africa have introduced scores of high tech electronics goods and gadgets some of which employ the latest Nano Technology.

http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/eng...irport-project

[Ras Siyan]

Interesting stuff...

[Ahadu]

Originally Posted by enkelfam

Samsung clinches multi-million birr Airport project

. Set to establish electronic academy in Ethiopia

http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/eng...irport-project

NEWS by Ethiopian Reporter can't be trusted. Editor Amare Aregawi is a liar and an over-hyping journalist.

[enkelfam]

Originally Posted by Ahadu

NEWS by Ethiopian Reporter can't be trusted. Editor Amare Aregawi is a liar and an over-hyping journalist.

Well we have to take what we have got, its not like we have the likes of NPR, CSPAN or new york times in Ethiopia. I am not a journalist, but I feel pretty good about Ethiopian reporter comparing to walta, aigaforum, ethiopian review, ... etc all whom come off clearly as an advocate working for 'their' side.

[abnet]

Well another news from the Reporter

Boeing asks permission to conduct B747-8 test flights

Saturday, 02 July 2011 07:26
By KALEYESUS BEKELE


[Capt. Solomon Gizaw expressed his remorse on the status quo]

Capt. Solomon Gizaw expressed his remorse on the status quo

- Private airlines demand air liberalisation

The American aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, has asked the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for landing rights for its new Boeing 747-8 jetliner.



A senior official with CAA said that executives of Boeing want to conduct a high-altitude test at the Addis Ababa airport. Accordingly, the executives recently came to Addis Ababa and requested permission to do so. However, the authority did not accept the request. The authority told executives of Boeing that the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise is undertaking a massive airport expansion project at the Bole International Airport, adding that there was a congestion due to the ongoing construction work. “There is already a congestion and if we allow this huge aircraft to conduct the flight test here it would create a havoc,” a senior official at CAA said. “And if something goes wrong, it would tarnish our image,” he added.

The Ethiopian Airport Enterprise last year launched the Addis Ababa airport expansion program. A Chinese construction firm is building the ramps at a cost of two billion birr. According to the enterprise, the expansion project would be finalised after five months.

Officials of the CAA told executives of Boeing that they could do the flight test after the expansion project is finalised. Airframers prefer Addis Ababa Bole International Airport for its high altitude. Engine performance is usually tested at high altitude. In October 2006 Airbus conducted a flight test for its A380 in Addis Ababa. The biggest commercial aircraft, A380, was again here in Addis Ababa in 2009 upon its return from the Dubai Airshow.

Boeing’s latest airliner to fly, the 747-8 Intercontinental, last April began its flight test programme with take-off on its maiden flight from Paine Field in Everett, Washington State. The new 747-8 Intercontinental, painted in a vivid orange-and-white livery with grey and gold striping, made its debut at the Paris Airshow held from June 20-26.

With planned 380 seats, the B747-8 has a least price of 317 million dollars. Lufthansa is the launch customer of the new jetliner with 20 firm orders. The flight test programme will have 600 hours planned to be finalised at the end of this year.
In a related news, the local private airlines on Thursday asked the government to lift the aviation regulation that prohibits private airlines not to operate aircraft with more than a 20-seat capacity. In a consultative meeting CAA organised with stakeholders on Thursday, CEOs of companies involved in the general aviation business fiercely criticised the government’s failure not to remove the ban imposed on the type of aircraft private airlines can operate.

Capt. Solomon Gizaw, owner and managing director of Abyssinia Flight Services, wondered how long this protectionist law would be in place. “Do you know why the governments put the 20-seat limit? It is to protect Ethiopian Airlines. We all like the national flag carrier. But how long will it be protected?” Capt. Solomon asked.

For many years operating private airline was not allowed. Fourteen years ago, the Ministry of Transport and Communication, led by the late Minister Ayenew Bitewlegn, introduced the law that prohibits private airlines not use an aircraft with more than 20 seats. Ethiopian had a 20-seater aircraft, DH6 that it used on domestic aircraft. So far Ethiopian is the only airline that provides scheduled domestic fligths.

Capt. Abera Lemi, owner and CEO of National Airways, said that it has been years since it was reported that the law would be revised. “We can not provide scheduled domestic flight services with an aircraft which has 20 seats. The flight fare collected from 20 passengers cannot cover the fuel cost. We can not be profitable with 20 seaters. Why is it taking so long to revoke the law?” According to Capt. Abera, Ethiopian used to fly to 54 destinations in the country but this has dropped to 16. “We can fill this service gap if we are allowed to operate the type of aircraft that we want," he said.

Another private airline CEO said that he should be allowed to use a 200 seater if there is the market. “The government has built several new airports but they are not being utilised because the private airlines are not encouraged to grow,” the CEO said.

In an interview with The Reporter Tewolde Gebremariam, Ethiopian CEO, and Girma Wake, former CEO, said that they do not object if the domestic flight service is liberalised.

Col. Wossenyeleh Hunegnaw, director general of CAA, said that with the view to encouraging private operators the authority conducted a study (draft aviation law) and submitted it to the Ministry of Transport and other concerned authorities two month ago. Col. Wossenyeleh hopes that the draft law would address the private operators’ concern. The government plans to push the seat limit to 50 but private operators claim that the limit should be removed.

The private airline owners voiced their disappointment with the way they are treated at the airports. Capt. Solomon said that he had asked for permission to build a maintenance hangar 12 years ago and written 25 official letters to Ethiopian Civil Aviation and the Ethiopian Airport Enterprise in the past 12 years but all in vain. “I have been asking the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise to give me a plot of land where we can build a maintenance hangar but our pleas have been falling on deaf ears,” Solomon said. “We are forced to work under scorching sun and heavy rain. We are dying please save us,” he lamented.
According to Solomon, he annually spends up to 300,000 dollars to get his fleet maintained in neighbouring Kenya. “We are also treated like flies at the airport. They tell us to move our aircraft and equipment from place to place now and then.”

Shiferaw Alemu, general manager of the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise, was unable to attend the meeting due to a management meeting. Nigussie Mulugeta, operation facilitation and service head with the enterprise, said that when the airport expansion project is finalised plots would be allocated for companies involved in the general aviation companies. “When the construction is finalised each private operator would have a space for maintenance hangar and office,” Nigussie said.

The private operators have also demanded that private companies should be allowed to provide ground handling services to carriers. Recently the Ethiopian Airport Enterprise banned private companies that provide ground handling services at the Bole International Airport. The private operators appreciated the authority for the improvements it made in service delivery. They also acknowledged the authority for organising bi-annual stakeholders' meeting.

There are 21 registered private airlines in Ethiopia but only six of them are operational.

N.B. The Addis abeba Bole airport has an altitude of 2300 meter(7600 ft)above sea level.

[Simfan34]

We want one for our troubles!

[AM2]

Originally Posted by yosef

U.S. Air Force Upgrades Arba Minch to Int’l Airport


http://addisfortune.com/Us%20Air%20F...%20Airport.htm

We had a discussion a while back about Arba Minch ... and i saw this piece of news today and kinda connected the dots. The US might be setting up a drone base over there ... maybe

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...one-bases.html

US targets Somalia and Yemen with new drone basesThe US is setting up a ring of bases for armed drones around the Indian Ocean, east Africa and the Arabian peninsular to hunt al Qaeda and spy on pirates.
New facilities for the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft are planned for Ethiopia, and bases will be expanded in the Seychelles and Djibouti, a tiny country on the Red Sea.

The drones have a maximum range of more than 3,600 miles, meaning that they can easily be launched deep over Somalia or Yemen, carry out missions and return to base.

They are the same aircraft used by the Royal Air Force in attacks against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Washington's decision to increase its use of the unmanned "hunter-killer" drones illustrates its concern that anti-Western terror organisations could spread in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsular.

"It's a conscious recognition that those are the hot spots developing right now," a former senior US military official told The Washington Post.

[lady gaga]

TURKISH CARGO launches freighter services to Addis Ababa and Jeddah



TURKISH CARGO continues to add new destinations to its fast growing network.

TURKISH CARGO very recently launched freighter services to Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh in August. As of 27th September scheduled cargo flights to Jeddah will be launched and the new generation A330-200F freighters with a capacity of 68 tons are used for this service.

While TURKISH CARGO expands its flight network with scheduled freighter flights to Riyadh (RUH) and Jeddah (JED), Turkish Airlines also launch passenger flights to Dammam, Saudi Arabia as of 12th September.

With frequencies of 20 to Jeddah, 7 to Riyadh and 13 to Medinah in a week, TURKISH CARGO uses the available capacity of the belly hold of Turkish Airlines passenger aircrafts for cargo carriage.

TURKISH CARGO’s expansion in the African region continues with Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa (ADD). Turkish Cargo, currently serves to Algeria, Cairo, Casablanca and Tripoli (suspended) with scheduled freighter flights, is now adding Addis Ababa to cargo destinations. Addis Ababa freighter services operated with new A330-200F freighter, will commence as of 27th September and is expected to add great contribution to the region.

Valid as of 27th September please find the Istanbul-Jeddah-Addis Ababa-Istanbul freighter schedule below.

[yosef]

Ethiopia launches direct flights from regions to Sudan’s capital

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

October 13, 2011 (Addis Ababa) - African carrier, Ethiopian Airlines on Thursday began direct flights from the country’s two northern regions to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Ethiopian Airlines announced that the new service to Khartoum from Bahir-Dar the capital of the Amhara region and Tigray’s Mekele to Khartoum began on October 13.

“The new direct flights will enhance tourism and business travel between Northern Ethiopia and Sudan” said a press statement. It added: “It will also strengthen the existing cooperation between the two governments”.

This will be the first time for the flag carrier to operate international routes from regional airports outside its hub, Addis Ababa Bole Airport, although it regularly flies to neighboring Djibouti from Dire Dawa town.

The airliner said the new flight services will be run four days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and Sundays using Bombardier Q-400 Aircraft.

read the rest at SudanTribune

[yosef]

Bole airport expansion project to be completed ahead of schedule

Monday, 10 October 2011 12:03
By KALEYESUS BEKELE

The Addis Ababa Airport expansion project is due for completion next December, one month ahead of the original schedule. Shiferaw Alemu, director general of the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise, told The Reporter that the contractor is expediting the work to finalise the project by December. Shiferaw said the enterprise has utilised 31 percent of the budget allocated for the expansion project, adding that the remaining 69 percent would be spent in the coming months.

According to him, the construction was hampered by the rainy season in the summer and by shortage of cement. The enterprise will inaugurate the Jijiga airport expansion project built in the capital of the Somali Regional State after two months. It will also inaugurate the new headquarters built near the Addis Bole International Airport soon.

The Chinese construction company, CRBC Addis Engineering, is undertaking the construction at a cost of 1.1 billion birr (66 million dollars). The expansion project will enable the airport to park huge aircraft, including Boeing 747 and Boeing 777. Currently Bole International Airport has a total of 19 aircraft parking capacity and the expansion will increase this capacity to 44 aircraft. The total cost for the projects will be covered by the Enterprise.

The expansion project includes the construction of aprons, taxiway and restoration of the existing runway, among others.

read the rest at Reporter

[Simfan34]

No building expansion?

[AM2]

US flies drones from Ethiopia to fight Somali militants

The US military has begun flying drone aircraft from a base in Ethiopia, as part of its fight against Islamist militants in neighbouring Somalia.

US officials have confirmed to the BBC that the base, in the southern city of Arba Minch, is now operational.

But they stressed that the remotely-piloted drones were being used only for surveillance, and not for air strikes.

It is part of a growing counter-terrorism presence in the region as the US pursues groups with al-Qaeda links.

The US military has reportedly spent millions of dollars upgrading the remote, civilian airport - from which Reaper drones are now being flown.

The remotely-piloted aircraft can be equipped with missiles and satellite guided bombs.

But officials have told the BBC the drones are flying unarmed because their use is considered sensitive by Ethiopia's government.

Their role is surveillance of the al-Shabab militant group - based in Somalia, and already the focus of drone missions flown from other bases in the region.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15488804

Damn i'm good ...

[abesha]

LOL - you must be a woyane cadre to have known this so far back

[Simfan34]

"New facilities for the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft are planned for Ethiopia, and bases will be expanded in the Seychelles and Djibouti, a tiny country on the Red Sea."

Oh hail, great mystic.

[AM2]

Originally Posted by abesha

LOL - you must be a woyane cadre to have known this so far back

Good one Abesha ... it's just the power of deductive reasoning ... as Sherlock Holmes would say.

[AM2]

Originally Posted by Simfan34

Oh hail, great mystic.

Lol ... i'm thinking of starting my own religion now. All applicants welcome ... take advantage of my early bird specials and save on membership fees ... any takers?

[Hersh]

Do we call you The Danny Lemma?

If so, is it too early to usurp power from you?
Cuz I think you deserve to be ousted for coming up with such a terrible name. lol

[AM2]

Originally Posted by Hersh

Do we call you The Danny Lemma?

If so, is it too early to usurp power from you?
Cuz I think you deserve to be ousted for coming up with such a terrible name. lol

The Danny Lemma?? Who dat?
No self respecting religion can be without in-fighting ... let the power struggle begin.

[Hersh]

Originally Posted by AM2

The Danny Lemma?? Who dat?
No self respecting religion can be without in-fighting ... let the power struggle begin.

Own version of the Dalai Lama, of course. Guess that pun was a fail.