Ethiopian Air to get Africa's 1st Boeing 787

[August 10, 2012]  ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Ethiopian Airlines next week takes delivery of Africa's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the airline's chief executive says the plane will first be used on routes around the continent.

Ethiopian Airlines takes delivery of the Dreamliner on Tuesday in Seattle, Washington. The plane's maiden flight takes place next weekend, a flight near Mount Kilimanjaro on the Tanzania-Kenya border.

Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam said Thursday his company is excited to be the first carrier to take delivery of a Dreamliner in Africa, Europe and the Americas.

The 787 is Boeing's most advanced plane. It is made out of lighter, carbon fiber that allows airlines to save on fuel costs.

[Associated Press; By KIRUBEL TADESSE]

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