ATR, the world's number one regional aircraft manufacturer, and Ethiopian MRO, a world-class maintenance and training provider, part of the Ethiopian Airlines Group, announced the signature of a Letter of Intent aimed at developing Ethiopian MRO's ATR aircraft maintenance and training capabilities. This strategic agreement marks a significant milestone in expanding ATR's presence in Africa and the Middle East, enabling enhanced support to local operators and fostering market growth.

The cooperation would cover the development of Ethiopian MRO's maintenance capabilities for ATR aircraft types and the establishment of a local spares' stock to reduce response time for ATR operators in the region. It would also explore collaborative ways to train new ATR pilots with the Ethiopian pilot academy.

With its extensive aircraft maintenance and repair capability, an international network for seamless spare parts delivery, multiple hubs across the continent, and an aviation training university, Ethiopian MRO is a key player in the aftermarket and the ideal local partner to cater to the needs of the 36 airlines operating 131 ATR aircraft across Africa and the Middle East.

Ato Mesfin Tasew Bekele, Ethiopian Airlines Group's Chief Executive Officer, said: "This partnership aligns with Ethiopian Airlines Group's vision to become a leading aviation reference for the African continent and the Middle East. We aim to share our expertise and benefit the entire African and Middle Eastern aviation community. This collaboration reinforces Ethiopia's positioning as a key hub, and the fact that an established OEM such as ATR approaches us to leverage our capabilities for their fleet and operators is a testament to the recognition we have earned."

Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR's Chief Executive Officer, said: "Ethiopian MRO's significant investments over the past years to expand their facilities combined with their dedication to developing their capabilities, present a timely opportunity for ATR to provide better support to our African and Middle Eastern operators. We are confident this cooperation will help boost regional aviation locally and unlock further potential for growth for ATR. Our operators will benefit from an improved quality of service, lower maintenance costs, reduced downtimes and lower emissions through the support of an experienced partner close to their needs."

While some parts of Africa and the Middle East have flourishing regional aviation networks, with turboprops playing a key role for local businesses, goods transport and tourism, the region remains widely under connected: 67% of the routes under 500NM are operated once daily or less, representing only 11% of seats. Most traffic is concentrated on a few well-served trunk routes, while connectivity from secondary cities is declining. Flying turboprops offers a reliable cost-effective solution for domestic and subregional connectivity, eliminating the need for expensive and environmentally disruptive ground infrastructure development.

With its unrivalled versatility, fuel efficiency and low operating costs, ATR aircraft are the ideal platform to serve the growing connectivity needs of the region's communities. As part of its strategy to empower customer satisfaction and regional expertise, ATR also established at the end of 2023 a Regional Field Service Representative in Ethiopia as a key initiative to create more intimacy with its customers.