Ethiopian Airlines Orders Africa’s First A350-1000

DALLAS - The largest airline group in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines Group (ET) has upgraded four of its A350-900 orders to the A350-1000, the largest model in the A350 Family, making it the continent's first operator of the type.

16 of the 22 A350-900s that the Ethiopian flag carrier has already bought have been delivered. ET's backlog now includes four A350-1000s and two A350-900s as a result of the A350-1000 upsizing.

The A350-1000 will expand the capacity of the East African airline and be a new member of its fleet of contemporary wide-body aircraft. The A350-1000's flexible, high-value Family that takes advantage of Airbus' exceptional level of commonality and same type rating will be advantageous to the airline.

Modern aerodynamics, a carbon fiber fuselage and wings, and the most fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines are all part of the Airbus A350's innovative, from-the-ground-up design. Together, these cutting-edge technologies give Ethiopian Airlines unparalleled levels of operational effectiveness and sustainability, with a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to earlier twin-aisle aircraft.

The A350 Family had garnered 940 orders from 52 customers by the end of June 2022, making it the standard large widebody family for the ensuing decades.

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Comments from Ethiopian Airlines, Airbus

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. 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. 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 on keeping ourselves abreast of aviation technology advancements to enhance our service and fulfill customers’ demand.”

”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 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.”

Featured image: A350-1000 Ethiopian Airlines. Render: Airbus