Africa’s largest carrier, the Ethiopian Airlines, has placed an order for six brand new Airbus A350-900 planes. The order for these new planes was confirmed during the Dubai Airshow 2025 which kicked off on November 17, concluding on November 21, 2025.
“We are delighted to expand our Airbus fleet size with this order and strengthen our partnership with the Airbus company,” said Ethiopian Airlines Group chief executive officer Mesfin Tasew.
“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 and strengthening our position as the aviation leader in Africa.”
The order now places Ethiopian ahead of all over airlines in Africa as the leading customer for the Airbus plane models.
““We are proud to further deepen our partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, a long-standing Airbus customer and a benchmark for aviation excellence in Africa,” said Airbus Executive Vice President Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry.
“The A350’s state-of-the-art technology, efficiency and versatility will bring even greater value to Ethiopian’s operations.”
According to the carrier, the Airbus A350-900 comes with 25 percent lower fuel burn and CO₂ emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft and is recognized for its quiet cabin, advanced aerodynamics, and state-of-the-art passenger comfort features.
SEE MORE: Ethiopian Airlines acquires Africa’s first 410-passenger Airbus A350-1000
Ethiopian placed the firm order for the planes barely two weeks after receiving two A350 planes from the Airbus. After receiving these two planes in the first two weeks of November 2025, the airline’s tally of Airbus fleet increased to 22 Airbus A350-900 planes.
“We are excited to welcome our 22nd Airbus A350-900 to our fleet family in less than two weeks of welcoming our 21st [of this model of plane],” the airline stated. “This is a significant step forward in delivering modern, efficient, and truly comfortable journeys for travellers around the world.” Ethiopian is currently the largest airline in Africa.
Over the past few years, Ethiopian has been expanding its fleet as it seeks to entrench its position as the undisputed king of the skies in Africa. In November 2024, in-service fleet at the carrier inched closer to surpassing the 150 milestone following the arrival of the coveted A350-1000 aircraft.
The carrier became the first airline in Africa to own the brand new aircraft when the new plane touched down at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa in the first week of November 2024.
