Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines announce order for additional 777-200LR

"The 777-200LR has been a fantastic airplane for Ethiopian Airlines," said Tewolde Gebremariam, the airline's CEO. "The performance and range of the airplane allowed us to open direct routes from Washington DC to Addis Ababa as well as Addis Ababa to Beijing, Toronto and other long range routes. In line with our Vision 2025, we plan to provide more and more non-stop long-haul flights to connect east, west, north and south using the strategic location of our Addis Ababa hub. This additional airplane will let us take full advantage of the performance and economics of this great airplane."

The 777-200LR is claimed to carry more passengers and more revenue cargo farther than any other jetliner and is reputed to be capable of connecting virtually any two cities in the world non-stop.

"Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines have been partners for more than 65 years and we've seen the airline grow to become a leader in African aviation and beyond," said Van Rex Gallard, vice president of Sales for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The airline continues to invest in its fleet to grow the airline, increase profitability and provide the best products in the sky for their valued customers. Boeing is proud of our relationship and we look forward to continuing to grow that bond for many years to come."

Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airline to operate the 777-200LR, the first to order the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with an order for 10 and the first to order the 777 Freighter. Ethiopian Airlines currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 737, 757, 767 and 777 airplanes in passenger service and a 757, MD11 and 747 in cargo operations.