Ethiopian Airlines has agreed to purchase eight Boeing 777-9 passenger aircraft with options for 12 additional jets.
Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines confirmed the agreement on Tuesday, Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO said: "We are pleased to continue setting the trend in African aviation by adopting cutting-edge technologies to enhance our services and customer satisfaction. Improving our operational performance and commitment to environmental sustainability, the 777-9 offers more flexibility, reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions,"
He added: "We are grateful to Boeing for their long-standing partnership and support, and we eagerly anticipate flying the 777-9 across the African skies and beyond."
Based on the 777 and with advanced technologies from the 787 Dreamliner family, the 777-9 features new carbon-fibre composite wings and engines that will enable the aeroplane to achieve 10% better fuel efficiency and operating costs than the competition. The 777-9 will support Ethiopian Airlines' plans to grow and renew its fleet in size, range and passenger and cargo capacity to reach high-demand markets in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.
"Ethiopian Airlines marks yet another first in our longstanding partnership by selecting the 777-9 to be the flagship of its growing fleet," said Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing.