Ethiopian Airlines has inaugurated its CFM LEAP-1B engine test cell at its Addis Ababa MRO services facility.

The achievement gives Ethiopian Airlines full testing capabilities for the LEAP-1B engine which is utilised exclusively in Boeing’s new-generation 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft.

Mesfin Tasew, chief executive at Ethiopian Airlines Group, said: “The addition of this state-of-the-art facility will enable us to finalise the development of Performance Restoration Shop Visit (PRSV1) repair capability on the engine, which is expected to be ready very soon.”

The newly launched facility positions Ethiopian Airlines as the fifth facility globally outside the Safran Aero Engines (SAE) and the General Electric (GE) network, and the first in the Middle East and Africa, to possess such advanced capability.

Ethiopian Airlines has planned to complete Phase 2 of the PRSV1 project by the end of September 2024 which will then also enable the airline to offer LEAP-1B PRSV solutions for customers in the region and beyond.

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