By Bilal Derso

Ethiopian Airlines inaugurated yesterday a modern Cargo Terminal II constructed at a cost of 10 million Euro.

Innaugurating the facility, Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalgen said the cargo terminal would boost Ethiopia’s floriculture and horticulture exports.

The prime minister further stated that the facility would also help to keep the quality of footwear, leather and medicine products export.

Stating the significance of the cargo in addressing Africa’s logistic and cargo shortcomings, Hailemariam called on the continent’s airliners to make use of the facility.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Geberemaiam said on the occasion that the cargo terminal puts Ethiopian among the 10 world’s best airlines in cargo and logistics services.

The terminal has facilities such as dry cargo terminal warehouse, perishable cargo terminal with cool chain storage, office building, apron area which accommodates 5 additional big freighter aircraft and sufficient truck parking apron.

It is also fitted with different climate chambers for storage and handling of temperature sensitive products such as fresh agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, life science products, among others.

The new terminal will raise Ethiopian’s cargo and logistics services annual uplift to 1 million tons.

Ethiopian cargo and logistics services operate 8 dedicated freighters to 39 global freighter destinations in Africa, the Gulf, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

Built on 40,000 square meters of land, the new cargo would raise Ethiopian’s cargo and logistics services annual uplift to 1 million tons.

Ethiopian has recently won ‘Cargo Airline Award for Network Development” at Brussels; ‘African Cargo Airline of the Year’ and many more, according to Fana Broadcasting Corporate.