BOEING’S REQUEST to the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) for landing rights for its new Boeing 747-8 jetliner to conduct test flights at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, has been turned down by the authority.
Col. Wossenyeleh Hunegnaw, director general of Ethiopian CAA, told World Airnews that Boeing wanted to conduct hot and high altitude tests on the aircraft at the Addis Ababa airport. He explained that the authority had given as its reason for refusing the request the fact that the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise was 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 congestion and if we allow this huge aircraft to conduct the flight tests here it would create havoc,” Hunegnaw said. “And if something goes wrong, it would tarnish our image.” The Ethiopian Airport Enterprise launched the Addis Ababa airport expansion programme last year. A Chinese construction firm is constructing the ramps at a cost of two billion birr. According to the enterprise, the expansion project would be finished in five months.
Officials of the ECAA told Boeing that it could conduct the flight tests after the expansion project was completed.
