On Tuesday, Ethiopian Airlines revealed a partnership with Boeing, outlining plans to purchase 20 737 MAX aircraft and an additional 11 787 Dreamliners at the Dubai Air Show. The CEO of the East African airline, Mesfin Tasew, asserts that this marks just the start.

This serves as the initial phase, and we anticipate undertaking another round of fleet renewal in the coming years, during which we plan to procure additional airplanes.

As per Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines anticipates utilizing options to acquire an additional 21 narrow-body planes. Furthermore, there are purchasing options for an extra 15 787-9 Dreamliner jets.

Ethiopian Airlines secures a historic order for a maximum of 67 Boeing jets, marking the largest-ever aircraft purchase in African history at a single time. For additional details, refer to the provided link.

The airline plans to reveal an order for wide-body jets, specifically the Boeing 777X or Airbus A350, in the upcoming months. However, the CEO declined to disclose the quantity of wide-body jets to be ordered.

In reference to the 2019 MAX crash, Mesfin Tasew expresses a renewed trust in the single-aisle aircraft.

The incident involving the 737 MAX four years ago was profoundly tragic, leaving a lasting impact on our memory. We mourn for the victims of that accident. After thorough examination, we have verified that Boeing has completely rectified the design flaw of the aircraft. Consequently, we have regained our trust in it.

The 737 MAX crash in March 2019, occurring shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, resulted in the tragic loss of all 157 individuals on board.

The incident marked the second involving a Boeing MAX in under five months and prompted a global suspension of all MAX jets for nearly two years.

The accidents revealed an issue with a system on the plane, resulting in the global grounding of the model. This move incurred a cost of around $20 billion for the U.S. plane-maker and triggered legal proceedings that brought to light deficiencies in the certification process.

Characterized by Boeing as the most extensive acquisition of Boeing aircraft in African history, the sale’s specific price point remains undisclosed.