Addis Ababa Journal; Against the Odds, Airline Takes Off and
Flies High  By JANE PERLEZ, Special to the New York Times
Published: August 09, 1988  Skilled Ethiopian technicians
crouched in a hangar at the airport here delicately hammering
the finishing touches to a svelte little biplane.  The fifth in
a production line set up by Ethiopian Airlines, the citrus-
yellow crop-duster is being built with a New York State company
as part of this country's eternal skirmish with nature.  But
along with its good works and its American connection, the Ag-
Cat, as it is known, is notable as the latest venture of a
profit-making and efficient air carrier that flourishes in one
of the most hard-line Marxist countries, where the concept of
perestroika has yet to appear.  ''We don't know why, but we have
met no resistance from the Government,'' said Bisrat Negatu, the
deputy general manager of corporate planning. ''The Government
gives us autonomy.'' Flowers for the Passengers  So much so that
the company is run on strict capi