Ethiopian Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Boeing for the purchase of five Boeing 777-8 Freighters. The agreement will allow Ethiopian to meet expanding global cargo demand from their Addis Ababa hub.
On Friday (March 4, 2022). Boeing announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ethiopian Airlines for the purchase of five new Boeing 777-8 Freighters. The new order expands the longstanding partnership between Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing, and will help the airline meet the growing global cargo demand from their Addis Ababa hub. Ethiopian Airlines currently operates nine dedicated Boeing 777 Freighters, connecting Africa with over 40 cargo hubs across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. The airline’s fleet also includes three Boeing 737BCFs and a combined commercial fleet of over 80 Boeing jets including 737s, 767s, 787s and 777s.
In Friday’s announcement, Ethiopian Airlines Group’s CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, said,
“Consistent with our history of aviation technology leadership in Africa, we are pleased to sign this MoU with our longstanding partner Boeing, which will make us join select group of launch customer airlines for the fleet. In our vision 2035, we are planning to expand our Cargo and Logistics business to be one of the largest global multimodal logistics provider in all continents.
“To this effect we are increasing our dedicated freighter fleet with the latest technology, fuel efficient and environment-friendly airplanes of the 21st century. We have also started the construction of the largest E-commerce Hub Terminal in Africa. The new 777-8 Freighters will be instrumental in this long journey of growth agenda. Today, our air cargo services cover more than 120 international destinations around the world with both belly-hold capacity and dedicated freighter services.”
Also commenting on the future 777-8F order, Boeing’s Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing, Ihssane Mounir, said,
“Ethiopian Airlines has been at the forefront of Africa's cargo market for decades, growing its fleet of Boeing freighters and connecting the continent to the flow of global commerce. The intent to purchase the new 777-8 Freighters further underscores the value of our latest airplane and ensures Ethiopian will remain a key player in global cargo, providing it with increased capacity, flexibility and efficiency for the future.”
With over 75 years of operations, Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing airline in Africa. The carrier commands the largest share of Pan-African passenger and cargo service and operates one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the world. Ethiopian serves over 130 destinations across five continents with a fleet of ultra-modern fuel efficient aircraft including Airbus A350s, Boeing 787-8/9 Dreamliners, Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 777-200LRs, Boeing 777-200 Freighters and De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s. The airline’s fleet has an average age of five years and Ethiopian was the first African carrier to operate all of the previously mentioned aircraft types.
Source(s): Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines