Ethiopian Airlines Group signed a partnership business agreement with ACM Aerospace of Germany pursuant to the aerospace manufacturing development program it has embarked on, the Airlines said.
The purpose of the agreement is to set up a facility in Ethiopia that will manufacture and supply aircraft seat covers, safety belts, carpets and many other interior parts to ACM Aerospace as part of the company’s line of production.
The facility will have the EASA part 21G certified Production facility (POA) certification which is a core requirement to be met in the industry.
ACM Aerospace is a prominent European aerospace manufacturing company that specializes in Aircraft seats and other interior parts. Aircraft seat covers, carpets and other cabin interior parts are manufactured from special fabric and leather materials that are certified and meet the strictest requirements set by aviation regulators such as EASA and FAA for use on an aircraft.
Accordingly, the facility will in the beginning manufacture the above products by importing such raw materials.
However, it will shortly have the capability to certify the leather and fabrics that are produced in Ethiopia and use them in the production process thereby supporting the textile and leather manufacturing industries of the country. The facility will generate a considerable amount of forex and create a job opportunity for more than 100 individuals.
“Pursuant to our government’s industrialization policy embedded in the five years Growth and Transformation Plan (GTPII), we are working in partnership with Aircraft manufacturers and other Aerospace suppliers to establish and develop labour-intensive aerospace manufacturing industry with a wide portfolio of products,” said Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines.
“The partnership agreement we signed with ACM Aerospace is a big milestone in this regard and will surely create significant job opportunities for the young, educated task force and will support and synergize with the textile and leather manufacturing industries being developed in the Country,” he said.
Mr. Arash Noshari, Managing Director of ACM aerospace, on his part, said that “We’re looking forward to set up a very strong partnership with Ethiopian Airlines Group and grow together with aircraft interior products made in Ethiopia thereby supporting the aerospace manufacturing development program of the country! I’m very proud to cooperate on a high quality level with the largest carrier in Africa and I’m pretty sure this is a great step into the future”.