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Ethiopian Airlines orders Bombardier turboprops

Last Thursday, Bombardier signed a contract order from Ethiopian Airlines for eight turboprop aircrafts, which are worth about $242 million.

The Montreal-based aircraft manufacturer claims that the deal was for eight Q400 NextGen airliners, and includes an optional clause to order four more. In the event that this option is exercised, the value of the deal will increase to $366 million.

The new aircrafts will charter flights in Ethiopia’s northern religious tourist sites. Currently, tourism represents 2.5% of the country’s Gross National Product (GNP), but the Ethiopian government wants to generate more revenue from this industry. The public sector aims to quadruple tourism numbers by 2010. And to do this, they have to invest in the most basic element of tourism: transport.