Ethiopian Airlines is considering an order for six Airbus A350 jets and about 20 of the smaller A220 model, according to Bloomberg News reports from early 2026.
The state-owned carrier, Africa’s largest airline, has been actively expanding its fleet. This potential order follows a firm purchase of six additional A350-900 aircraft announced at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025. Those jets reinforced Ethiopian’s standing as the continent’s top A350 operator.
Earlier fleet moves include upsizing four A350-900s to A350-1000s in 2022, bringing its backlog at that time to four A350-1000s and two A350-900s, with 16 A350-900s already delivered. A separate November 2025 lease deal with Novus Aviation Capital added two more A350-900s.
On the Boeing side, Ethiopian confirmed nine 787-9 Dreamliners in January 2026 for delivery between 2031 and 2033, plus 11 737 MAX 8s from the Dubai Airshow. No firm commitment has been announced for the latest A350 and A220 discussions.