Ethiopian Airlines has taken delivery of two new Airbus A350-900 aircraft in Addis Ababa, bringing the Ethiopian fleet of A350s to a total of 16.
The aircraft interior features a cabin reconfigured for a 1-2-1 business class seating, allowing every passenger more space and privacy and aisle access.
In economy class, seating capacity has increased from 313 to 325. With 30 seats in business class, the overall seat capacity is 355 for the new aircraft. The carrier confirms the A350-900 will operate on the London Heathrow route.
Ethiopian, which in October announced a new partnership agreement that will enable the carrier to source locally grown produce and ingredients for preparing in-flight meals for global passengers, recently received two new Boeing 787-900 Dreamliners and unveiled a new business class product which also features a 1-2-1 herringbone seating configuration. These aircraft are currently operating on the Manchester to Addis route.
Ethiopian’s UK & Ireland director Michael Yohannes commented: “These new aircraft are a welcome addition to the Ethiopian fleet and we look forward to welcoming the new A350-900 on the London route. With excellent connections across Sub Saharan Africa both north- and southbound via our hub in Addis, this makes for an excellent option for passenger and cargo opportunities to Africa”.
Ethiopian recently transported five tonnes of humanitarian goods onboard the two new Airbus A350-900s in partnership with Airbus, Sans Frontieres and Pablo Horstmann Foundation. The humanitarian shipment, which took off from Toulouse, France to Addis Ababa, consisted of medical and IT equipment. The carrier says the goods will support the work of the Federal Ministry of Health in Ethiopia and The Pablo Horstmann Foundation, which runs children’s hospitals in the country.
Ethiopian also recently unveiled an ultra-modern, spacious passenger terminal which has been completed with an emphasis on biosecurity and biosafety measures and includes a new state-of-the art business class lounge.