Ethiopian Airlines is the first African airline to order Boeing 777Xs. Initially, eight copies of the 777-9 variant will be available. At the same time, the carrier secured options for up to 12 additional machines.

This meant that the US aircraft manufacturer was able to land the first order for this type of aircraft on the African continent. However, it will still be some time before Ethiopian Airlines can put the first example into scheduled service, as the program is already several years behind schedule. Emirates boss Clark assumes that the airline he leads can take delivery of the first Boeing 777X in 2026.

Ethiopian Airlines is a long-standing customer of the US. It currently operates Boeing 787, 737 and 737-Max, among others. Just last year, the aviation company based in Addis Ababa ordered eleven B787s and 20 B737-Maxes. Now they are becoming Africa’s first B777X operator.

“We look forward to continuing to set trends in African aviation by leveraging cutting-edge technologies to improve our service and customer satisfaction. The 777-9 enhances our operational performance and our commitment to environmental sustainability, providing greater flexibility and lower fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions,” said Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew.