APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Africa’s biggest carrier says it was placing an order for brand new boeings to augment its fleet.
Ethiopian Airlines has placed an order to purchase eight 777-9 wide body jets from the Boeing Company, with potential for up to 12 additional aircraft orders, the airlines said in a statement on Tuesday.
Ethiopian Airlines’ selection of 777-9 jets makes the national carrier the first customer of the plane type in Africa in addition to its 2023 order of 11 787 Dreamliner and 20 737 MAX jets.
“We are pleased to continue setting the trend in Africa aviation by adopting cutting-edge technologies to enhance our services and customer satisfaction,” the statement quoted Mesfin Tasew, CEO of the Ethiopian Airlines Group, as saying.
The 777-9 features new carbon-fiber composite wings and engines that will enable the airplane to achieve 10 percent better fuel efficiency and operating costs than other fleet families.
“Improving our operational performance and commitment to environmental sustainability, the 777-9 offers more flexibility, reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions,” Tasew said.
According to the CEO, the 777-9 will support the Ethiopian Airlines’ plans to grow and renew its fleet in size, range and passenger and cargo capacity to reach high-demand markets in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
The statement noted that Boeing airplanes make up more than half of the Ethiopian Airlines’ current fleet.
“Ethiopian Airlines marks yet another first in our longstanding partnership by selecting the 777-9 to be the flagship of its growing fleet,” the statement quoted Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president, as saying.
As part of its Vision 2035, Ethiopian Airlines is planning to fly to more than 209 international destinations, flying with more than 271 modern and eco-friendly airplanes.
Meanwhile the Ethiopian Airlines Group announced its launching a thrice weekly flights service between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Maun, Botswana as of June 10, 2024.
Maun will be the airline’s second destination in Botswana after Gaborone, which has been served since 2016, the airliner said on Tuesday in a statement.
According to the statement, the new thrice weekly service will be operational on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
The new route will provide convenient and seamless connectivity for travelers from Ethiopia and other parts of Africa to the popular tourist destination of Maun, which is the gateway to the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s largest inland deltas.
Speaking about the commencement of the new flight services, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said, “We are delighted to include Maun, the tourism capital of Botswana, to our ever-expanding African network.
The addition of Maun into our African connectivity enables travelers from Maun to enjoy facilitated connectivity to Ethiopian vast global network that exceeds 135 destinations. Maun is a strategic addition to our network as it will enable us to offer our customers a unique opportunity to explore the natural beauty and rich biodiversity of Botswana.
Ethiopian champions the largest network operating to more than 60 destinations in the continent.
MG/as/APA