EAL has 27 aircraft and 200 pilots. In the past two years the airline bought eleven aircraft (Boeing 767-300 and Boeing 737-700). The airline began a fleet modernization program in November 2003 and the first phase of the program concluded last week with the arrival of a new B737. The second phase of the program will begin with the delivery of B787, the ultra modern dream liner aircraft, in 2008.

Members of the Ethiopian cockpit crew are resigning from the airline in the quest for better payment. Recently more than ten senior captains who had served the national liner for over 20 years left the company for good. The big airline companies in the Middle East and Far East are offering attractive salaries to Ethiopian pilots, especially to the captains that Ethiopian can’t pay. Girma Wake, EAL’s Chief Executive Officer, told The Reporter that the airlines in the United Arab Emirates and Singapore pay a monthly salary of six to seven thousand dollars to Ethiopian pilots. Girma said since the airlines in the Middle East rolling in petro dollar pay fat per diems. They also provide spacious houses and luxurious cars for free. The pilots’ children school fees are covered by the companies. Here most of the pilots earn less than 500 dollars and because of the irresistible offers the Ethiopian pilots are leaving their homeland to join the big airlines in the Middle East . The salaries of the Ghanaian pilots is not yet known.

Last week EALs management made a 20 percent salary increment to all its employees. There are 4,250 employees working in the company. But pilots are not happy at all. The management is trying to retain the disgruntled cockpit crew. Despite the turbulence caused by terrorism and the inflated fuel price in the global aviation industry, the 56-year-old airliner has succeeded in registering a considerable huge amount of profit in preceding years. Girma said EAL’s management is striving to ensure the continuity of the company’s success story.