Ethiopia Shows Interest in Upgrading from Aero Vodochody's L-39 to L-39NG Aircraft

AERO Vodochody hosted the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, at its headquarters, with the visit concentrating on exploring collaboration opportunities, specifically in the production and adoption of the new L-39NG aircraft.

"I was very happy to welcome the Prime Minister to the Aero headquarters and introduce him to the production of our new L-39NG aircraft. I believe that we will build on our successful cooperation in the future with our new aircraft, which offers customers the most modern systems and is also one of the most cost-effective in its category," said Viktor Sotona, President of Aero.

During the visit, Sotona guided Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed through the Aero production facilities, with a specific emphasis on the L-39NG aircraft. The Ethiopian delegation showed interest in understanding the capabilities of the aircraft, including the technologies employed for pilot training and the key parameters of the armed version.

Aero, in collaboration with Omnipol, has a longstanding partnership with Ethiopia, as the Ministry of National Defense of Ethiopia currently operates L-39 Albatros aircraft from Aero's workshop. The transition from the L-39 Albatros to the L-39NG marks an improvement in pilot training capabilities. Besides its primary use in pilot training, the L-39NG is also suitable for light combat and reconnaissance missions.

The visit coincides with a broader Czech initiative to strengthen economic ties with African nations. Recently, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, embarked on a business mission to Africa, with Ethiopia being the initial stop. The Czech delegation, led by Prime Minister Fiala, visited key locations, including the air base in Bishop, where Aero L-39 Albatros aircraft are deployed.

As part of the visit, Prime Minister Fiala engaged with Aero employees who conduct general repairs and modernization of L-39 Albatros aircraft on-site.