Ethiopian Airlines has announced a firm order for six additional Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The agreement was formalized at the Dubai Airshow by Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus Executive Vice President Sales for the Commercial Aircraft business.
With this order, Ethiopian Airlines continues to be the largest operator of the A350 in Africa. “We are delighted to expand our Airbus fleet size with this order and strengthen our partnership with the Airbus company. As the continent’s leading airline and the largest operator of the A350, this milestone order further supports our vision to grow sustainably while providing a world-class travel experience to our passengers and strengthening our position as the aviation leader in Africa,” said Mesfin Tasew.
Benoit de Saint-Exupéry commented, “We are proud to further deepen our partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, a long-standing Airbus customer and a benchmark for aviation excellence in Africa. The A350’s state-of-the-art technology, efficiency and versatility will bring even greater value to Ethiopian’s operations.”
The Airbus A350 is designed for long-range flights up to 9,700 nautical miles (18,000 kilometers) without stopovers. It features modern technologies including aerodynamics that aim to improve efficiency and passenger comfort. The aircraft uses latest-generation Rolls-Royce engines and lightweight materials, which help reduce fuel burn, operating costs, and carbon dioxide emissions by 25% compared to older models.
The cabin design of the A350 aims to provide improved comfort for both passengers and crew members through updated inflight products. In terms of sustainability goals, all Airbus aircraft including the A350 can currently operate on up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The company plans for its aircraft to be capable of flying on 100% SAF by 2030.
As of October 2025, more than 1,400 orders for aircraft from the A350 Family had been placed by 64 customers globally.
