Oh, Ethiopian Airways, why you gotta do me like that?!
Ethiopian Airways is infamous for airplane swaps
There’s not a world airline on the planet that extra continuously swaps planes than Ethiopian Airways. That’s to say that that while you guide, your flight will present as being scheduled to be operated by one sort of plane, after which while you truly journey, it might be a totally totally different sort of plane.
There are in fact every kind of professional causes airways have to swap the plane sort on a flight — generally there are irregular operations, generally demand has shifted considerably, and so forth. Nonetheless, the frequency with which Ethiopian swaps planes is on a totally totally different stage. And that claims nothing of the inconsistent enterprise class product even inside every fleet sort.
A few days in the past, I shared how I’m headed to Africa, in my quest to fly Ethiopian Airways’ model new Airbus A350-1000. I booked an itinerary the place the primary section was purported to be operated by a Boeing 787-9, and the second section was purported to be operated by an Airbus A350-1000.
Now I obtained my on-line check-in invitation, and my seats on each flights have modified. In fact we all know what which means — there have been plane swaps! Now each of my flights are scheduled to be operated by Airbus A350-900s, each within the previous configuration.
Grrrr! Okay, admittedly I care far more about plane varieties than the typical particular person, since I’m reviewing these flights. Heck, I may be the one particular person onboard who truly cares about which airplane operates these routes.
If there’s any silver lining, it’s that my flights haven’t departed but. For all I do know, there may be one other airplane swap — perhaps I’ll get a Boeing 737 MAX on one flight, and perhaps Ethiopian Airways will deliver a Boeing 707 out of my retirement for my second flight. Who is aware of. 😉
I don’t perceive why that is so frequent, although?!
Does anybody perceive why Ethiopian Airways swaps planes so usually, whereas nearly no different airline on the planet does it to this stage? Like I mentioned, airplane swaps occur once in a while for professional causes, however I simply don’t get what Ethiopian has to achieve with this. A number of theories and questions:
- Is Ethiopian Airways simply actually the most effective airline on the planet at matching capability to demand, by always optimizing the plane it schedules on flights?
- Does Ethiopian Airways have the world’s least or most complicated fleet planning software program? Fleet planning is a puzzle beneath the most effective of circumstances, not to mention while you’re switching round your flights always
- I assume flight attendants are skilled on all plane, however isn’t it logistically sophisticated for pilots, who’re sometimes solely rated on one sort of plane? I do know a variety of Ethiopian pilots are ex-pats and so they work a sure variety of days after which go residence, so do they simply sit round in Addis Ababa and discover out on brief discover the place they’ll fly, or…?
- Doesn’t this ever trigger operational points at airports, like if a 737 is initially scheduled, after which a a lot bigger airplane is swapped in? Or is the airline actually good at taking these elements under consideration?
The truth that Ethiopian is in a league of its personal in relation to airplane swaps makes me surprise if the service’s technique is totally illogical, or if the Star Alliance airline has discovered an optimization technique that no different airline has.
Backside line
Ethiopian Airways is infamous for airplane swaps, and sadly I’ve been ETed for my upcoming itinerary. I booked simply a few days in the past, in hopes of flying the 787-9 and A350-1000. As an alternative I’m now scheduled to fly two segments on the A350-900, each with the previous configuration.
I’ve recognized it is a frequent situation, I’m simply unsure I perceive why that is such a typical drawback with the airline, when nearly each different airline on earth doesn’t take this strategy.
Can anybody present any insights as to why Ethiopian Airways so continuously has airplane swaps? Is the airline forward of its friends with its technique, or only a mess?
