New Ethiopian Airlines chief aims for near-doubling of fleet under 2035 roadmap

Recently appointed Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Mesfin Tasew has embraced the ‘Vision 2035’ roadmap introduced by his predecessor Tewolde GebreMariam in 2019, as he aims to keep the carrier on an aggressive growth path. Tasew says the roadmap is “tailored around fast, profitable, sustainable growth” and will involve a near-doubling of the carrier’s current fleet – covering both passenger and cargo aircraft. “Today, Ethiopian Airlines operates around 135 aircraft and by 2035 we would like to expand this fleet to more than 250 aircraft,” he states. The Addis Ababa-based operator has 35 aircraft on order, meaning it will need to place significant orders for “more latest-technology, highly efficient aircraft” in the coming years, Tasew says. The currently on-order aircraft include 22 Boeing 737 Max jets – Ethiopian having finally brought its four examples back into service earlier this year. By early August, it had taken delivery of three further Max aircraft, bringing its fleet to seven, and it expects to receive the remaining 22 over the next four years, Tasew states. “When we reintroduced them, customers did not notice that they were flying on the 737 Max,” Tasew says of the passenger response to the type returning following the fatal crash of an Ethiopian example in 2019. The reliability of the aircraft has been very good,” he adds of the type’s few months back in service. Of Ethiopian’s other outstanding aircraft orders, four of six Airbus A350s have now been upgraded from the -900 to -1000 variant, while it also has two Boeing 787-9s to come, and five 777 freighters. Indeed, freighters are big part of Tasew’s thinking as he adopts a “grand cargo expansion” strategy as part of the 2035 roadmap.<br/>