On the heels of its announcement earlier this week to procure Boeing 777-200LR and Airbus A350-900 aircraft, Ethiopian Airlines has become the first airline to unveil its interior configuration for its Boeing 787-8 aircraft.Ethiopian Airlines, who is Boeing's African launch customer for the type, will fly 270 passengers in a two-class configuration. Business class will carry 24 passengers in four rows of 2-2-2 seating. Economy class will seat nine-abreast in a 3-3-3 configuration seating a total 246 passengers.
According to the computer rendering of the aircraft's interior on its specially design microsite, the Addis Ababa-based airline appears to have selected Contour's Aura Premium Business Class Seats. Contour said in a June 2007 press release that the Aura seat had been selected by six 787 customers as part of Boeing's Dreamliner Gallery 787 customization program.
For its economy cabin, it appears Ethiopian has opted for the highest density cross-section with Weber 5700 system seats. According to Weber, the 5700 seat can accomodate up to a 10.6-inch IFE screen in the seatback.
Ethiopian's microsite touts a delivery date of 2010, though Boeing has yet to announce a new delivery schedule for its first delivery to launch customer All Nippon Airways, making the entry into service date for Ethiopian uncertain. The African airline had previously said that it would receive the first of its 787s in June of 2010.
Renderings Credit Ethiopian Airlines
on July 31, 2009 12:11 PM | Reply
Well, at least if the wing thing isn't resolved soon, they could rent it out as a movie theater or conference center and make use of the nice looking interior and IFE setup. :-)
on July 31, 2009 1:06 PM | Reply
it was posted in ETs website months ago
on July 31, 2009 4:09 PM | Reply
wow this interior will be outdated by the time it flies.
on July 31, 2009 7:43 PM | Reply
The 787 piece on Ethiopian's site has been on there for many months, and was put up when it unveiled its new website. This is not news, only an item that has become of interest with Ethiopian's large announcement.
Now the golden rule is, were the 777s a replacement for the 787s, augmented with 350s? dun dun dun ...
on August 1, 2009 6:37 AM | Reply
well... I would not care too much about the interior of the 787 at this point.... I'd rather worry my mind about getting the 787 airborne!!!
on August 2, 2009 9:28 AM | Reply
The interior is verry nice but Ethiopian Airlines is not the first airline in Africa to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and first African Airline to fly the Boeing 787Dreamliner is Royal Air Maroc and I would like to know if they had revealed the interior of the 787.
on August 5, 2009 3:29 AM | Reply
Well Ethiopian Airlines will be the Launch customer for 787 not Air Maroc!!
on August 7, 2009 5:16 AM | Reply
I am surprised to see ET buying so many aircrafts. Is it doing really well? I would have expected some more reputable airlines to be the launch customer, as was the case for the A380.
on August 9, 2009 8:30 PM | Reply
Well Ethiopian airlines is the first airline to fly the 787 and the first airline in Africa to buy 10 of them and if the wing problem isnt solved boeing a compesation to ET for the delay.
on August 10, 2009 9:37 AM | Reply
Some sources says the first Dreamliner will go to All Nippon Airways (ZAA1) second (ZAA2) to Delta Airlines and third (ZAA3) to Royal Air Maroc and plus the Boeing general manager of sales for Africa is Morrocan and he can make a Royal Air Maroc first airline in Africa to fly the Boeing 787Dreamliner.