Wants To Be Paid For Time That Its Dreamliners Sat On The Ground

Ethiopian Airlines will ask Boeing to help offset revenues lost while its Dreamliners sat through a mandatory grounding that began early in January. Airline CEO Tewolde Gebermariam said that the discussions will begin "soon."

Ethiopian began revenue service with its Dreamliners last month after the battery systems on board the airplanes were modified. The Associated Press reports that, according to Gebermariam, the focus was on getting the airplanes back in the air. Now, he says, it is time to start compensation talks.

Boeing says that it has been in close contact with all of its customers since the planes were grounded in early January concerning potential compensation for lost revenue. Spokesman Daniel Mosley said the details of those discussions were "confidential."

Ethiopian was the first carrier to restart flying passengers aboard a Dreamliner. It made a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi on April 27th.

Ethiopian operates a fleet of five Dreamliners, and has an additional five on order, according to its website. The first was delivered on August 14th, 2012.

FMI: www.ethiopianairlines.com. www.boeing.com