Ethiopian Airlines has placed an order for nine additional Boeing 787-9 aircraft, according to an announcement by the US manufacturer.
Although disclosed on January 20, 2026, this order was reportedly finalized in December 2025, shortly after the Dubai Airshow.
During that air show, Ethiopian Airlines also firmed an order for 11 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and secured eight Airbus A350s, six directly from the European aircraft manufacturer and two more through an agreement with leasing firm Novus Aviation Capital.
This is a follow up order for the African carrier, which had previously ordered 11 787s and 20 737 MAX from Boeing (plus 15 and 21 options, respectively) at the 2023 Dubai Airshow.
It is not clear whether Ethiopian Airlines is exercising any of these options with the nine-aircraft order announced today.
In a press release announcing the order, Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, stated that the airline “will continue to acquire more aircraft and adopt the latest technologies as part of our strategic vision to advance sustainable aviation.”
As of January 2026, Ethiopian Airlines already operates the largest Dreamliner fleet in Africa, with 30 aircraft (20 of which of the –8 version and 10 of the –9 version). The carrier’s widebody fleet is supplemented by 11 B777s and 25 A350s of different versions.
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