Ethiopian Airlines hopes to increase its annual net profit to $116 million by 2010 from $43.4 million last year through restructuring its services, a company official said on Saturday.
Tewolde Gebre Mariam, executive officer for marketing and sales, also said the company may increase its order of Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner airplanes after it put in an order for 10 last year.
"Ethiopian Airlines has put in a firm order for 10 787 Dreamliners, which will be delivered by 2008, with an option for five more in the near future," he told a news conference marking the 60th anniversary of the airline. "The airline, which generated $495 million in total revenue in 2005 by transporting 1.55 million passengers plans to boost its total revenue to $1 billion by 2010 by carrying 3 million passengers," he added.
Tewolde said the airline had also built a $35 million cargo terminal in Addis Ababa, equipped with a cold room and storage capacity for 130 tonnes. It also has a new hangar for perishable products such as flowers, fruit and vegetables, meat and medicine.
The airline has also introduced e-ticketing on certain routes and plans to decorate cabins with African details. "We are planning to convert Ethiopian Airlines into a truly African airline, by decorating cabins with Africa's historical and cultural places," Tewolde said.
The airline, which has 30 aircraft most of them Boeings, flies to 45 destinations in Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States. It plans to open services to Juba in southern Sudan and Brussels.
Asked whether other airlines flying into Addis would reduce revenue, Tewolde said: "Competition is the order of the day. The fact that many airlines opted to fly to Addis shows that the country has converted into an airline hub." "We are ready to compete and have our fair share of the market," he added. The latest airlines flying to Addis Ababa are Emirates airline and Turkish Airlines.
Ethiopian Airlines was set up in April 1946.