Panafrican News Agency

Ethiopian Airlines includes four new Airbus 350-1000 series in new fleet

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Ethiopian Airlines has upgraded its existing orders for Airbus A350-900 aircraft to the A350-1000, becoming the first African carrier to make the order, the airline announced here Thursday.

Ethiopian Airlines has already ordered 22 A350-900s, of which 16 aircraft have been delivered. With the A350-1000 upsizing, Ethiopian Airlines’ backlog consists of four A350-1000s and two A350-900s, the Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew said.

“We are delighted over the upsizing of the A350-900 on order to the largest variant, A350-1000, that helps us stay ahead of the curve in technology," the CEO said in a statement.

Mikail Houari, President, Airbus Africa and Middle East, said the A350-900 has delivered extraordinary capability, fuel efficiency, and operational reliability of 99.5 per cent together with unbeatable operational flexibility and efficiency, from short to ultra-long-range operations.

The Airlines CEO said Ethiopian Airlines remained the technology leaders in the continent introducing the latest technology and fuel-efficient fleet into Africa.

"The A350-1000 is the best fit for our dense routes, and we believe that the upsizing will be instrumental in satisfying the increasing demand of customers in our vast global network across five continents," the Airline said.

Airline executes said the airline would continue keeping abreast of aviation technology advancements to enhance service and fulfil customers demand.

”We are proud of our strong partnership with Ethiopian Airlines - the first airline in Africa to order and operate the A350-900. The A350-1000 will increase the East African carrier’s capacity and it will be an addition to its modern wide-body fleet.

"The airline will benefit from a flexible, high value Family leveraging Airbus’ unprecedented level of commonality and same type rating.

-0- PANA AO/RA 28July2022