ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Africa's largest carrier Ethiopian Airlines has upsized four of its A350-900 on order to the largest variant of the A350 Family, the A350-1000, becoming the continent's first customer for the type.
Ethiopian Airlines has already ordered 22 A350-900s, of which 16 units have already joined the airline's long-haul fleet. With the A350-1000 upsizing, Ethiopian Airlines' backlog now comprises four A350-1000s and two A350-900s.
"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. We are 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. We will continue to keep ourselves abreast of aviation technology advancements to enhance our service and fulfill customers' demand," Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said.
" We are proud of our strong partnership with Ethiopian Airlines - the first airline in Africa to order and operate the A350-900. In another first, Ethiopian Airlines is once again leading the way in Africa's aviation sector by introducing the A350-1000, the largest version of the world's most efficient and technologically advanced passenger aircraft," said Mikail Houari, President, Airbus Africa, and the Middle East.
"The A350-900 has delivered extraordinary capability, fuel efficiency, and operational reliability of 99.5 percent together with unbeatable operational flexibility and efficiency, from short to ultra-long-range operations."
The A350-1000 will increase the East African carrier's capacity, and it will be an addition to its modern widebody fleet. The airline will benefit from a flexible, high-value Family leveraging Airbus' unprecedented level of commonality and same type rating.
By the end of June 2022, the A350 Family had received 940 orders from 52 customers, making it the reference large widebody family for the next decades.
