Ethiopian Airlines has signed an agreement with Boeing for 10 new freighters, including eight 777-8Fs and two current-generation 777Fs, expanding a cargo fleet already built around the U.S. manufacturer's largest twin-engine freighter.
The agreement was signed in Addis Ababa on Wednesday. Ethiopian CEO Mesfin Tasew said the two 777Fs are scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028, while the eight 777-8Fs will arrive between 2033 and 2035.
The airline also secured purchase rights for eight additional 777-8Fs. Exercising all of them would increase the commitment to the new freighter to 16 aircraft.
Tasew put the catalog value of the 10-aircraft agreement at about US$5 billion, although the actual price negotiated with Boeing was not disclosed.
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The order confirms plans that Ethiopian first disclosed more than four years ago. The airline signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing in March 2022 covering five 777-8Fs, but those aircraft had not become firm orders.
The new agreement increases that planned acquisition to eight firm 777-8Fs, with another eight available through purchase rights.
777F will arrive years before replacement
The delivery schedule leaves a long gap between the two generations of Boeing freighters.
The first current-generation 777F is due next year and the second in 2028. Ethiopian does not expect its first 777-8F until 2033, five years after the second of the two additional 777Fs is scheduled to arrive.
Ethiopian currently operates 12 777Fs, making the type the core of its long-haul cargo fleet. The two new aircraft will increase that fleet before the 777-8F begins arriving.
The ability to continue buying the current model has recently become more important for Boeing and its customers. The Federal Aviation Administration granted an exemption allowing Boeing to deliver up to 35 additional 777Fs after new emissions requirements would otherwise have restricted production of the aircraft.
Boeing is developing the 777-8F from the 777X family. The program has moved considerably beyond the timetable envisioned when Ethiopian signed its original memorandum in 2022, contributing to the need for current-generation freighters to cover fleet requirements before the new model becomes available.
Four converted 777s also planned
Ethiopian's cargo expansion will not be limited to the 10 newly built Boeing aircraft.
Tasew said the airline also plans to add four passenger 777s converted into freighters. These aircraft are separate from the agreement signed with Boeing on Wednesday.
Ethiopian has previously been linked to the Mammoth Freighters 777-200LRMF conversion program. The converted aircraft would provide another source of capacity before deliveries of the 777-8F begin, although the airline did not specify during the announcement whether all four aircraft mentioned are part of that program.
The carrier's cargo operation also includes smaller Boeing freighters and supports an international network centered on Addis Ababa. Ethiopian has expanded the business substantially since the pandemic and is developing additional airport and logistics capacity as part of its broader growth plans.
The eight firm 777-8Fs will arrive over a three-year period from 2033 through 2035. If Ethiopian later exercises all eight purchase rights, its future 777-8F fleet could reach 16 aircraft.
