Ethiopian Pilots Complete Training for 787 Dreamliner

[HD video below] Ethiopian Airlines, the first African airline to operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has trained eight pilots on the aircraft at the Boeing Flight Services campus located at Gatwick, London.

Additional batches of trainees are conducting 787 training in the same facility.

Boeing has been granted approval by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide flight training for pilots preparing to operate the new Boeing 787. With 787 training, pilots can transition to the new airplane in five to twenty days, depending on previous pilot experience. Boeing 777 pilots can qualify to fly the 787 in as little as five days, given the high level of commonality between the two airplane types.

“This is an important milestone in the history of Ethiopian Airlines,” said Captain Desta Zeru, Senior Vice President of Flight Operations for Ethiopian Airlines. “Our pilots are now qualified as the first African pilots to fly the 787. “We are proud to support Ethiopian Airlines as they grow their business with the 787 Dreamliner," said Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer, Boeing Flight Services. "World class training for a world class airplane is part of the Boeing Edge we work hard to provide to our customers.”

The Boeing 787 flight training program uses an innovative suite of training devices including a full-flight simulator, flight training device and desktop simulation station to ensure that pilots are ready to fly the Dreamliner.

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