Ethiopian Air studies large order that puts jet rivals in play

Ethiopian Airlines Group is in the final stages of deciding on an aircraft order for as many as fifty jets, as Africa’s largest carrier looks to renew its fleet and expand its foothold on the continent. The state-owned airline is considering a purchase of twenty-five single-aisle planes, with options for ten more, Chief Commercial Officer Lemma Yadecha said in an interview after the carrier’s inaugural flight to Mauritius. [caption id="attachment_56725550" align="aligncenter" width="1536"] Ethiopian’s freighter fleet includes twelve 777Fs. (Photo/Liege Airport)[/caption] Ethiopian is studying the smallest variant of the Boeing Co. 737 Max family, along with Embraer regional jets and Airbus SE’s A220 model, he said. The airline is also nearing a decision for as many as sixteen freighters, including eight purchasing rights. Yadecha said the carrier is in the process of “final evaluation” in terms of technical and financial aspects of the order and that Ethiopian will decide “in weeks to come.” That might put the company in a position to make an announcement at this year’s Farnborough Air Show, which kicks off next week. Ethiopian is seeking to renew its fleet to keep its aircraft at an age of no more than eight years, the executive said. The airline needs to to put in the orders as soon as possible, he said, given that delivery slots are becoming increasingly scarce in coming years. The 80-year-old carrier has ambitions to become a global connector rivaling giants Turkish Airlines and Emirates. The company is working on a multi-billion dollar airport with the capacity to handle 60 million passengers annually, with plans to expand that to 110 million by 2036. A win for Airbus or Embraer would grant either planemaker more access to a carrier whose fleet remains dominated by Boeing Co. Ethiopian operates about 170 jets, including more than 100 Boeing 737s, 777s and 787s, as well as 26 Airbus A350s and several dozen turboprops. The airline also has more than 60 jets on order from the US company. A follow-up deal at the UK airshow — one of the industry’s marquee sales events — would be a vindication for Boeing, which shares a difficult history with the carrier following a crash of a 737 Max airliner in early 2019 that led to the planemaker’s descent into a years-long crisis. Boeing largely sat out commercial announcements at the Paris Air Show last year, which alternates with Farnborough, following another crash involving an Air India 787 Dreamliner model a few days before the expo. Farnborough promises to be a lucrative event for Boeing. The planemaker is set to win its first order from Philippine Airlines since 2007 for 787 Dreamliners and another order from Etihad for the same model, Bloomberg reported earlier this month. Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air plans to firm up options for around 30 Dreamliners at the show, Bloomberg reported this week. Still, the aviation industry continues to work through one of its most difficult periods as the Iran war creates disruptions, from airspace closures to soaring jet fuel prices, which hit record prices and caused ticket fares to surge. Yadecha said that sourcing fuel was a “serious challenge” for the airline, which had to diversify its sources by purchasing more jet fuel from Nigeria and Oman. “We strongly believe this is a very temporary situation,” Yadecha said. Cargo Facts Symposium 2026, the premier event for the freighter aircraft and air cargo industries, will take place in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 21-23. Find out more and register by Sept. 4 to take advantage of early-bird pricing.

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