March 1, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) - The Ethiopian airlines has won The African Cargo Airline of the Year award, the flag carrier said in a statement. The award was presented to Ethiopian Airlines at the Air Cargo Africa 2011 Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya last week.

The award was organised by Stat Times International for excellence in Air Cargo in Africa. According to the Stat Times, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo has won the nominations of its readers worldwide for the "STAT TIMES International Award for Excellence in Air Cargo" in the category of African Cargo Airline of the year.

Ethiopian Airlines is one of the largest airlines in Africa serving over 53 destinations around the globe. The state-owned airline flies to more destinations in Africa than any other airline in the continent. Along with South African and Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines is widely considered among the leading operators in sub-Saharan Africa.

To meet its ambition of being continent’s leading air travel company and broaden its network, the Ethiopian airline is putting huge investment into purchasing additional planes.

The Ethiopian Airlines, one of the fastest growing airlines in the industry, has bought five Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, at a cost of US$1.3 billion, making it the first African carrier to own and operate the long-range aircraft.

According to the Ethiopian airliner, using the 777-200LR, the world’s most technologically advanced aircraft it will be able to make a non-stop flight to new long-haul destinations such as Washington and Beijing.

Ethiopian Airlines is also the first airline in Africa to operate with Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

(ST)