Ethiopian Airlines orders ten Boeing freighters and becomes the first African carrier of the 777-8F

On September 30, 2026, Ethiopian Airlines signed an order for ten cargo aircraft from Boeing: eight 777-8 Freighters and two 777 Freighters. The Ethiopian group thus becomes the first African airline to order the 777-8F, the latest member of the 777X family, according to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) and the specialized website Air Cargo News.

Five billion dollars at list price

The agreement was initialed by Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, and Brad McMullen, Boeing's senior vice president. According to Africanews, the list price of the transaction is nearly five billion dollars, with the actual price paid not being disclosed—a common gap in the aeronautics industry. An option for eight additional aircraft accompanies the order. The ENA specifies that four 777 Freighters converted from passenger planes complete the arrangement. The two 777Fs are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2028, and the eight 777-8Fs between 2033 and 2035.

Cargo, nearly a quarter of revenue

Freight transport accounts for 23% of the group's revenue, according to the ENA. Ethiopian already operates twelve Boeing 777Fs, two 767Fs, and four 737-800SFs, according to Air Cargo News, and serves more than 70 cargo markets in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. The 777-8F offers a maximum payload of 118 tonnes, compared to 107 for the current 777F.

Mesfin Tasew believes that these aircraft will play a "vital role" in facilitating global trade and strengthening supply chains.

Addis Ababa, the continent's hub

The operation confirms the strategy that has made Ethiopian the leading airline in Africa: capturing flows between the continent, Asia, and Europe at Addis Ababa rather than letting them transit through the Gulf or Europe. For African exporters—Kenyan and Ethiopian horticulture, pharmaceuticals, spare parts, and e-commerce—the cargo capacity available from the continent is a condition for accessing global markets, and it has long been in non-African hands.

The order also highlights a dependency. Nearly 80% of Ethiopian's jet fleet comes from Boeing and, according to the ENA, 84 of the 102 firm orders for the next seven years are American. The continent buys its planes, it does not build them: industrial mastery of African air transport remains to be built, from heavy maintenance to the training of engineers, areas where Ethiopian has precisely developed some of the most advanced centers in Africa.

The first 777F deliveries are expected as early as 2027, as part of the airline's "Vision 2040" plan.