Ethiopian Airlines is considering an order for additional Airbus aircraft, media outlets such as Bloomberg and Business Insider Africa have reported, quoting sources familiar with the matter.
According to these reports, the East African airline may be considering acquiring six A350 widebody and up to 20 A220 narrowbody aircraft to boost its long-haul and regional fleets, respectively.
If confirmed, this would be the first A220 from Ethiopian Airlines. The African carrier, however, has long been an A350-900 operator. It placed its first order for the –900 version of the type as early as 2009 and has since followed up with incremental orders in 2017, 2022, 2023 and, most recently, at the 2025 Dubai Airshow.
According to date from ch-aviation, as of May 2026, Ethiopian Airlines has 26 A350 aircraft (four of the –1000 version and 22 of the –900 one, with another 17 of the latter awaiting delivery).
Earlier in 2026, Ethiopian also exercised its option to purchase 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to further expand its long-haul fleet.
These aircraft purchases are aligned with Ethiopian Airlines’ plans to become a major global connector. The airline’s direct investment in the future Bishoftu International Airport, Adis Ababa’s new $12.5 billion four-runway greenfield airport, which began construction in January 2026, is also part of this ambitious growth strategy.
The deal would also be aligned with Ethiopian Airlines’ ambitious plans to become a major global connector.
AeroTime has reached out to Ethiopian Airlines for comment.
