Ethiopian Airlines orders 10 Boeing widebody freighters

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's leading carrier, signed an agreement with Boeing on Wednesday (30 September) for 10 factory-built freighters. The order covers eight of the yet-to-be-certified, new-generation B777-8F and two of the current-generation B777-200F, the most popular twin-engine widebody freighter in service. The deal also includes options on eight more B777-8Fs.

Ethiopian CEO Mesfin Tasew announced the order at a signing ceremony in Addis Ababa. He said the catalogue price of the aircraft is $5 billion, while the actual price agreed is confidential. Reuters, citing industry sources, had reported earlier this month that the deal was coming.

The state-owned carrier already operates 12 B777Fs, three Boeing 767 freighters and four converted 737s on medium-haul routes, as part of a fleet of more than 140 aircraft. It is also helping to fund a $12.5 billion plan for what officials describe as Africa's largest airport, with phase one due to open in 2030.

Why the 777-200F is still being built
Under emissions rules adopted by ICAO in 2017, and later by the US, Boeing would have had to end production of the B777-200F by the end of 2027. The rules bar newly built aircraft that exceed set fuel-efficiency and CO2 limits from receiving their first airworthiness certificate after 1 January 2028. The GE90-powered B777F does not meet those limits, so production would have stopped on 31 December 2027.

Boeing petitioned the FAA in December 2025 for relief, citing delays to the 777-8F. The FAA has since granted an exemption covering up to 35 newly built 777Fs receiving their first airworthiness certificates from 1 January 2028 through the end of 2030. The waiver is meant to bridge the gap until the 777-8F enters service.

Demand for the type remains strong. Boeing delivered 35 B777Fs in 2025, and by 31 August 2026 it had delivered 18 more this year. It also had 38 aircraft left to deliver. FedEx accounts for eight of those, Saudia for four and Emirates for three, while China Airlines, China Southern Cargo and Silk Way West Airlines have two each.

The remaining 17 aircraft are not assigned to active airlines. Six are listed against Volga-Dnepr UK Limited, the UK subsidiary of the Russian cargo carrier, which is insolvent and in administration, leaving it effectively defunct as an operating airline. Boeing lists the other 11 against “unidentified customer(s)”. It is unclear whether Ethiopian's two additional B777Fs are on top of the 38 or come from this group of 17.

777-8F still some way off
The 777-8F, which complies with the new standards, is itself running late. Its entry into service is targeted for 2029, though some customers already believe it will slip to 2030. The wider 777X programme is also behind schedule. Certification has been moved to a goal of 2026, with the passenger 777-9 now planned to enter service in 2027. That aircraft was originally due in early 2020.

Airbus A350F takes to the air
The order comes as Boeing's freighter franchise faces its first serious challenger. Airbus’s A350F completed its maiden flight from Toulouse on Tuesday (29 September). The first flight-test aircraft, MSN700, stayed airborne for four hours and 10 minutes, climbing to 25,000 feet and reaching an indicated airspeed of 340 knots.

Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the A350F is designed to carry up to 111 tonnes over a range of up to 8,700 km. Airbus claims up to 40% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions than competing aircraft in its payload-range class, and says it is the first new freighter designed to fully meet ICAO's latest CO2 standards. Sarah McLaren, Airbus head of widebody and freighter marketing, said the aircraft was "built by Airbus, but really it is designed by the market".

As of the end of August, Airbus had 115 A350F orders from 14 customers, which it says gives it up to 59% of the large freighter market. Etihad Airways has 10 on order. The A350F competes directly with both the B777-200F and the 777-8F. With the Boeing successor still awaiting certification, Airbus now has a flying prototype in the race.

This article was first published in The STAT Trade Times