Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International) has taken delivery of its first A350-1000, one of four ordered by the airline, and the first of the type to be operated by an African carrier. ET-BAW (msn 691) was handed over to the airline on November 4 at Toulouse Blagnac, the airline said. It was ferried to Addis Ababa International the following day, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
ET-BAW is equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines - the only option for the A350 family - and is configured with 46 business class seats and 349 economy. A second -1000 is due to be delivered in December, followed by the remaining two by late first quarter 2025.
The first unit will be used on promotional flights to eight destinations until the second aircraft arrives, after which both will be dedicated to serving its Washington Dulles route, Ethiopian Aviation Holding Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said at the handover ceremony. The A350-1000 will enable the airline "to enhance its premium service on key destinations" including Washington D.C., London Heathrow, Paris CDG, and Frankfurt International, Airbus said. Tasew added that the larger aircraft would be particularly useful on the slot-constrained Heathrow route.
Ethiopian Airlines' widebody fleet comprises twenty A350-900s (with another 11 still to be delivered), six B777-200LRs, four B777-300ERs, nineteen B787-8s, ten B787-9s, and ten B777-200Fs (with another two to be delivered). Along with the additional A350-900s, eleven B787-9s and eight B777-9s are still to be delivered.
The airline did not immediately respond to questions from ch-aviation as to whether the A350-1000s will be replacing any of its current fleet.
