Ethiopian Airlines is set to acquire an additional 11 Boeing 737 Max planes. This deal was announced by the airline and planes maker Boeing during the Dubai Airshow 2025 which kicked off on November 17, concluding on November 21, 2025.
“We are thrilled to be announcing our agreement with Boeing for additional11 B737-8 airplanes today during Dubai Airshow. The order will support our growth plans that we have set as part of our vision and strategy,” said Ethiopian Airlines Group chief executive officer Mesfin Tasew.
“We are happy that our partnership with Boeing continues to grow over the years and we look forward to flying Boeing airplanes for years to come and that we will continue to serve our customers by bringing them high performance airplanes with passenger comfort.”
The airline has been majorly using the Boeing 737-8 planes to service short to medium routes in Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southern Europe.
“Ethiopian Airlines’ commitment to expand its 737 MAX fleet underscores its leadership in Africa. Our new agreement also strengthens our nearly 80-year partnership with the airline and region,” said Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing.
“We are proud that our efficient and versatile airplanes will continue to play a pivotal role in Ethiopian Airlines’ growth as they further connect the African continent and the world.”
During the airshow in Dubai, Ethiopian also announced that it had placed an order for 6 Airbus A350-900 widebody planes. The order for the Airbus planes now places Ethiopian ahead of all over airlines in Africa as the leading customer for the Airbus plane models.
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.
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.
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