Ethiopian Airlines Welcomes First A350-1000
Ethiopian Airlines has proudly received its first A350-1000, marking a significant milestone as the first African carrier to operate this advanced aircraft type. The delivery took place on November 4 at Toulouse Blagnac arriving at Addis Ababa International the following day, as confirmed by Flightradar24 ADS-B data, reported ch-aviation.com.
The newly acquired A350-1000 is equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the sole engine option for the A350 family, and features a spacious configuration with 46 business class seats and 349 economy class seats. Ethiopian Airlines has ordered a total of four A350-1000s, with the next delivery scheduled for December, followed by the final two expected by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
In the interim, the first A350-1000 will be utilized for promotional flights to eight destinations until the second aircraft arrives. Following this, both A350-1000s will primarily serve the Washington Dulles route. Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Aviation Holding Group, emphasized during the handover ceremony that the new aircraft will enhance the airline’s premium services on key international routes, including Washington D.C., London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Frankfurt International. The larger capacity of the A350-1000 will be especially advantageous on the slot-constrained Heathrow route.
Ethiopian Airlines currently operates a diverse widebody fleet, including twenty A350-900s (with an additional eleven on order), six Boeing 777-200LRs, four 777-300ERs, nineteen 787-8s, ten 787-9s, and ten 777-200Fs (with two more to be delivered). The addition of the A350-1000s complements the existing fleet, although the airline has not yet clarified whether these new aircraft will replace any of its current models.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com