Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, ordered nine new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The airline is expanding its fleet because of rising demand for long-haul travel, the two companies said. The new 787-9 jets will be used to grow the airline’s route network, which currently serves 145 international destinations. Ethiopian Airlines also completed its purchase of 11 more 737 MAX planes.
Boeing’s 737 MAX jets have a troubled history: They were grounded in 2019 after two crashes occurred fewer than five months apart off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia, killing 346 people. An automated flight control system contributed to both accidents. The US planemaker has settled more than 90% of the dozens of civil lawsuits over the two crashes, paying out billions of dollars in compensation.