Boeing Company, a leading global aerospace company, is set to test its next-generation 777X wide-body at the Addis Ababa Bole international Airport, in Ethiopia according to the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority.
The authority said the company’s decision underscores the airport’s growing role in global aviation trials and Ethiopian Airlines’ ambitions to become Africa’s dominant hub carrier.
A Boeing delegation met with Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority Director General Yohannes Abera to seek preliminary clearance for the aircraft’s conformity assessment, it said.
Officials highlighted Bole’s altitude—7,625 feet above sea level—as ideal for evaluating the 777X’s performance in thin-air conditions, from takeoff thrust to climb rates.
The plan mirrors Airbus SE’s 2006 decision to trial the A380 superjumbo in Addis Ababa, leveraging similar high-altitude conditions.
The tests come months after Ethiopian Airlines Group signed a deal to purchase eight Boeing 777-9 jets, with options for 12 more.
The agreement, announced in March, enabled the Addis-based airline the first African customer for the model.
The 777-9 is the larger version of Boeing’s new family, designed to carry up to 426 passengers and fly more than 7,200 nautical miles.
Powered by GE9X engines and equipped with composite wings featuring folding wingtips, the jet promises a 10 percent fuel-burn improvement versus previous 777 models.
MG/as/APA