Ethiopian restores jets from cargo use to serve rising passenger demand

Cargo proved a lifeline for Ethiopian Airlines during the pandemic, but with passenger demand returning, the carrier is reconverting its fleet of converted freighters back to passenger flights. During the depths of the pandemic, Ethiopian converted four Boeing 777-200s into freighters — known since the pandemic began as “preighters” — to fly personal protective equipment, and later, vaccines between China and Africa and onto Brazil. These preighters joined the carrier’s 10 777-200Fs and three Boeing 737-800Fs. But with passenger demand returning, Ethiopian has re-converted three of the planes back to passenger operations, with the fourth to follow in the next few weeks, said Nigusu Worku, Ethiopian’s regional director for North America. Ethiopian is not alone in returning preighters back to passenger operations. Iberia last month returned its freighters back to their original fittings. Passenger traffic is back to about 65% of 2019 levels and, based on advance bookings, Ethiopian expects traffic to be about 80% of 2019 levels by the end of the year. Business travel and tourism has all but dried up, but visiting friends and relatives — particularly by the African diaspora in North America and Europe — has remained strong. About 65% of the carrier’s traffic connects over Addis Ababa to other points in subsaharan Africa, with the Ethiopian capital being the final destination for the balance, Worku said.<br/>