Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s leading carrier, announced on Wednesday that it has earned $9.1 billion in revenue during the 2025/2026 Ethiopian fiscal year, ending on July 7.
During a briefing in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Mesfin Tasew, group chief executive officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines, said the revenue saw a 20 percent growth compared to the previous fiscal year.
“The airline performed well during the year with passenger numbers increasing by 10 percent to 20.7 million and cargo freight rose 16 percent year on year to 897,000 metric tons,” said Tasew.
He said the airline is set to buy six additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets to expand long-haul services in the near future. Currently it operates more than 150 aircraft.
The airline added nine aircraft to its fleet over the year, he said, adding that the carrier has also expanded its facilities at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
To support its operational growth, Ethiopian Airlines added nine aircraft to its fleet and acquired eight pilot training aircraft to strengthen its aviation training capacity.
Mesfin said the airline’s financial performance was affected by flight cancellations resulting from conflicts in the Gulf region, the suspension of services to certain destinations due to U.S. travel restrictions, and the cancellation of flights to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite these challenges, he said, the airline maintained strong operational performance throughout the fiscal year, with the first nine months delivering particularly strong results that significantly supported its overall performance.
The airline also continued expanding infrastructure at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, including work on the domestic terminal, passenger lounges, cargo terminal and data center, while carrying out airport beautification projects.
Ethiopian Airlines expanded its international network during the year by launching four new routes, including services to Portugal, Vietnam and Abu Dhabi. The group also increased its domestic destinations from 22 to 25, adding routes to Yabelo and Negele Borena.
MG/as/APA