Ethiopian Airlines has ordered eight all-new 777-8 freighter aircraft and two current-model 777 cargo jets from Boeing, helping the manufacturer close the sales gap with rival Airbus in sales for next-generation large freighters.
Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) announcement Wednesday afternoon came a day after Airbus conducted the maiden test flight of its A350 freighter.
Widebody freighters are increasingly in demand as supply chain and engine issues stunt production of large passenger aircraft, which carry significant amounts of freight, and carriers retire aging, fuel-guzzling cargo jets amid continued trade growth.
Ethiopian is the first carrier in Africa to order the 777-8 freighter.
The airline said it will use the planes for growth and to expand its network, which currently connects more than 70 markets around the world with 18 Boeing aircraft — 12 777s, two 767 medium widebody jets and four 737-800 converted narrowbody freighters.
No delivery timetable for the Ethiopian aircraft was given. Boeing is pushing for commercial release of the 777-8 in 2028, but the plane is already years behind schedule, and ongoing certification delays could push production into 2029 or beyond.
Sticking with the Boeing 777 family gives Ethiopian advantages in terms of interoperability with pilots, maintenance and cargo handling.
The 777-8 has a maximum payload of 118 metric tons vs 111 tons for the A350.
The 777-8 can carry nearly as much cargo as a 747-400 jumbo jet but has 30% improved fuel efficiency, 25% better operating costs per ton, and up to a 60% smaller area for noise impact on the ground, according to Boeing.
With Ethiopian, Boeing now has firm orders for 89 777-8 freighter aircraft compared to Airbus’ 115 orders for the A350.
Ethiopian previously ordered eight 777-9 passenger jets.
Earlier this month, Ethiopian Cargo said it would begin marketing capacity to freight forwarders on CargoAi’s multi-carrier booking platform.
