New aircraft, new logo, new look

After a few years out of its familiar perch as the No. 1 airline in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines is back on top. The airline recently renewed its fleet with a mixed order for six new Boeing 737 and 767 airplanes.

After announcing an aggressive fleet renewal and expansion program, Ethiopian also is looking to add six additional airplanes, including more 737s and 767s. The carrier recently took delivery of its sixth 767-300ER airplane.

Commercial airplane travel in Africa continues to grow at an annual rate of 5 percent. With a unique heritage and rich culture, Ethiopia is creating demand by offering more options to fly to the country.

FULL STORY >>

Services with a SMILE

At the end of a long, busy work day, it can be hard to look at all the good things accomplished if there’s still a mile-long list of things to do before getting home. Typically, such a list can mean fighting traffic, stewing in long lines, and returning home just in time to throw a quick meal together before collapsing into bed.

Not so for employees at Boeing in Renton, Wash. The Move to the Lake project at Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Renton site is bringing to employees more than a new work location and a new way of working together. It’s also providing employees the Employee Service Center, a one-stop shop of convenient new services. Now Renton area employees can run many personal errands on site, and take care of Boeing business when it’s convenient for them—on their lunch breaks or before or after work.

FULL STORY >>

Partners for progress

Jeff Griffiths and Brindu Giridharadas didn’t set out to make their workgroup a model of employee utilization, job satisfaction or group morale. But in 1989, at the dawn of the 777 program, the Commercial Airplanes Weight Engineering group faced a challenge that would lead them, incrementally, to transform their group and demonstrate the benefits of partnering.

“We had just hired a large number of engineers out of school,” recalled Griffiths. “But we hadn’t figured out how to utilize all that talent.”

To tackle the problem, Griffiths named Giridharadas lead engineer, a role without a generally agreed-on definition.

Over the next several weeks, Griffiths and Giridharadas fine-tuned the criteria for evaluating the lead’s performance. “The main thing Jeff told me, which came as a great relief, was, ‘You will be measured on getting work done—not on doing it yourself,’” Giridharadas said.

FULL STORY >>