Ethiopian Airlines MRO and Aviation Academy
Africa's largest aviation maintenance facility and training powerhouse — keeping the continent flying.
Ethiopian Airlines Group operates Africa's largest and most advanced Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility, along with a world-class Aviation Academy, both based at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. The MRO facility can handle wide-body aircraft including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350, providing heavy maintenance checks, engine overhaul, component repair, and aircraft painting for Ethiopian Airlines and third-party African and international carriers. The Ethiopian Aviation Academy is the largest aviation training institution in Africa, training over 4,000 students per year in pilot training, aircraft maintenance, cabin crew, and aviation management.
- 01Provide full-spectrum MRO services for Ethiopian Airlines' fleet and third-party carriers across Africa
- 02Reduce the need for African airlines to send aircraft overseas for heavy maintenance and overhaul
- 03Train the next generation of African aviation professionals through the Aviation Academy
- 04Generate foreign exchange revenue by attracting international customers for MRO services
- 05Support Ethiopian Airlines' Vision 2035 strategy to become Africa's leading aviation group
- 06Develop engine overhaul capability to service CFM56, GE90, and GEnx engine families
1957 · completed
Ethiopian Aviation Academy Founded
Ethiopian Airlines establishes its aviation training school, one of the first in Africa, initially offering pilot and technician training with support from TWA.
2009 · completed
MRO Facility Major Expansion
Ethiopian Airlines opens expanded MRO hangars capable of handling wide-body aircraft. The facility begins attracting third-party maintenance contracts from other African carriers.
2015 · completed
Boeing 787 Heavy Maintenance Capability
Ethiopian MRO achieves certification for Boeing 787 Dreamliner heavy maintenance, becoming the first African facility to offer this service for the composite-fuselage aircraft.
2019 · completed
New Aviation Academy Campus
The new Aviation Academy campus opens with expanded capacity for 4,000 students annually. Facilities include new flight simulator bays and a dedicated cabin crew training centre.
2022 · completed
Airbus A350 MRO Certification
Ethiopian MRO obtains certification for Airbus A350 base maintenance, making it a full-spectrum wide-body MRO provider for both Boeing and Airbus types.
2025 · in progress
MRO City at New Mega Airport
Planning and initial construction of a new MRO city at the planned Addis Ababa mega airport, targeting capacity to service 300 aircraft per year by 2035.
Infrastructure
Wide-Body Maintenance Hangars
Multiple hangars capable of accommodating Boeing 777, 787, and Airbus A350 aircraft for C-checks and D-checks (heavy maintenance).
Processing Equipment
Engine Overhaul Shop
Full engine strip, repair, and reassembly facility with test cell for CFM56 and GEnx turbofan engines.
Processing Equipment
Component Repair Shops
Dedicated workshops for avionics, hydraulics, pneumatics, landing gear, and composite structure repair.
Training Equipment
Full-Flight Simulators
Multiple Level D full-flight simulators for Boeing 737, 787, 777, and Airbus A350 type rating and recurrent training.
Human Capital
Skilled Workforce
Over 4,000 MRO technicians and engineers, predominantly Ethiopian nationals, many trained at the in-house Aviation Academy.
- Wide-body aircraft maintenance hangars with capacity for Boeing 777, 787, and Airbus A350 heavy checks
- Engine test cell and overhaul shop for CFM56 and GEnx turbofan engine families
- Non-destructive testing (NDT) laboratory with ultrasonic, eddy current, and radiographic inspection capabilities
- Full-flight simulators for Boeing 737 MAX, 787, 777, and Airbus A350 pilot training
- Composite material repair facility for carbon-fibre reinforced polymer aircraft structures
- Aircraft painting hangar with environmentally controlled spray booths for wide-body aircraft
What it means for the community
Ethiopian Airlines' MRO division services over 200 aircraft per year from airlines across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, generating hundreds of millions in foreign exchange for Ethiopia. The Aviation Academy has trained over 20,000 aviation professionals from 40+ African countries, making it the primary source of pilot and technician talent on the continent. The combined MRO and Academy operation has positioned Addis Ababa as Africa's aviation capital and supports Ethiopian Airlines' status as Africa's largest and most profitable airline.
- Ethiopian Airlines Group — majority owned by the Government of Ethiopia