The selection by Ethiopian Airlines of the Boeing 777-8F as its new full-freighter aircraft confirms its plans to significantly grow the cargo business unit in the next decade. Part of that plan is to double the fleet by 2035 to 24 full freighters. MoU for five 777-8Fs confirms Ethiopian Airlines’ cargo ambitions.
Ethiopian and Boeing issued a media release late on March 4 to announce that the airline had signed a Memorandum of Understanding for five 777-8Fs. Once confirmed, this makes it the second customer for the new freighter that was launched on January 31 with a firm order for 34 plus sixteen options from Qatar Airways. The -8F is the second type in the 777X family and is expected to enter service in 2027.
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.