Ethiopian Airlines is close to ordering as many as ten Boeing long-haul cargo aircraft as Africa’s largest carrier prepares for a $12.5 billion airport designed to handle 3.7 million tonnes of freight annually.
The prospective agreement could include two current-generation Boeing 777 freighters and several next-generation 777-8Fs, Reuters reported, citing two aviation-industry sources familiar with the negotiations.
Neither Ethiopian Airlines nor Boeing has announced a signed order. The number and combination of aircraft could still change.
Ethiopian has also considered the Airbus A350F, meaning Boeing has not publicly secured the transaction.
If completed, the deal would deepen one of Boeing’s longest-standing African relationships while helping the American manufacturer manage a difficult transition between two generations of cargo aircraft.
