Diamond Aircraft has sold five DA40NG piston-singles to Ethiopian Airlines, in support of the flag-carrier’s “Vision 2025” strategic plan to become the leading aviation group in Africa.
The four-seat aircraft bring Ethiopian’s fleet of DA-series models to 18 – made up of 16 DA40s and two twin-engined DA42s. The airline – headquartered in Addis Ababa – also owns a pair of Diamond aircraft simulators.
Diamond Aircraft
Both models use the AE300 turbocharged jet-fuel powerplant manufactured by Diamond sister company Austro Engine, making them an ideal fit for the African airline training market, the Austrian airframer says.
“AvGas is hardly available in Africa,” the company notes, and where it can be found “it is often sold at multiple the price of jet fuel”.
Diamond says that of the 1,900 DA40s in service worldwide, 90% are used in a training role. About 60% of the 800-strong DA42 fleet is used for training.
Source: Flight International
