Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has ordered nine Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from the US manufacturer as it moves to scale up operations amid rising demand on its long-haul international routes.

 

The order, finalised in December, comes just weeks after the Ethiopian flag carrier placed an order for 11 smaller Boeing 737-8 aircraft and six Airbus A350-900 wide-body jets, part of an aggressive fleet expansion and renewal drive.

The airline said the additional wide-body aircraft will be deployed to expand its route network, raise frequencies on high-demand long-haul routes and support the launch of new international destinations.“The addition of these aircraft aims to expand the airline’s route network and enhance its international connectivity, providing more flexible flight options for passengers,” the carrier said in a statement.

The Boeing 787-9 is about six metres longer than the predecessor 787-8, allowing it to carry more passengers while delivering better fuel burn per seat.“This order underscores our continued commitment to enhancing our fleet with modern, fuel-efficient aircraft, thereby further strengthening our customer service,” said Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Mesfin Tasew.“We will continue to acquire more aircraft and adopt the latest technologies as part of our strategic vision to advance sustainable aviation.”Boeing estimates that the 787-9 family consumes around 25 percent less fuel than older generation aircraft of comparable size, lowering costs and emissions.

Anbessie Yitbarek, Boeing’s vice president for commercial sales and marketing for Africa, said the aircraft has been a “game-changer” for airlines globally.

Ethiopian currently operates Africa’s largest fleet of 787-9s, with about 10 in service, all of which are leased. The airline also has 20 Boeing 787-8 aircraft, roughly half of them owned. The latest order will take its total 787 fleet to 39 aircraft.

Demand has continued to grow across the carrier’s network. Ethiopian ferried 17.5 million passengers in 2024, up from 15.9 million the previous year.

Unlike many African carriers, Ethiopian’s traffic is dominated by intercontinental long-haul routes, served mainly by wide-body aircraft. These routes accounted for 6.9 million passengers in 2024.

The new aircraft are expected to be deployed on high-demand services to Europe, Asia and North America, where Ethiopian flies directly to around 47 destinations from Addis Ababa, including New York, London and Paris.

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