Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s first airline to order the new new Boeing 777X passenger jets manufactured by leading global aerospace company, Boeing, in a bid to improve its customer experience, modernize its fleet and maintain its continental high ranking standards.
According to an official statement from the airline’s CEO, Ethiopian Airlines has placed a firm order for eight 777-9 jetliners, and the potential for up to 12 additional jets, designed to seat more than 400 travelers, in a deal that will pocket Boeing at least $11B/approx. KSh. 1.5T.
Despite no single order being officially delivered globally, the Ethiopian Airline deal provides some sales momentum for Boeing company as it works to complete certification of the much-delayed and much-anticipated jet family.
Ethiopian Airlines plans to use the 777-9, the largest-ever twin-engine airliner, to reach high-demand markets in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Currently, over half of Ethiopian Airlines’ fleet comprises of Boeing models, including including 29 787 Dreamliners, twenty 777s, three 767s, 27 Next-Generation 737s and 15 737 MAX jets.
In total, Boeing has so far received 453 orders for the 777X family, with nearly half of that order belonging to world’s luxury airline brand; Dubai-based Emirates.
