Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline group in Africa, has signed a 7-year Flight Hour Services (FHS) contract with Airbus. This contract provides for the maintenance of the airline’s fleet of 24 Airbus A350 aircraft, encompassing both the A350-900 and A350-1000 variants.
Under this agreement, Ethiopian Airlines will benefit from on-site stock availability in Addis Ababa, access to Airbus’ global material pools, and repair and engineering support services for a wide selection of critical rotable parts.
This will ensure minimal aircraft downtime and maximize operational reliability across its global network.
Retta Melaku, Chief Operating Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, said, “As the first African operator of the A350 Family, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of performance and reliability across our fleet. Partnering long-term with Airbus through this FHS agreement will help us optimize operations, reduce maintenance-related delays, and ensure our passengers continue to experience the best in safety, comfort, and service.”
At a time when the aviation industry in the West is facing an unusually high number of accidents, Laurent Negre, Vice President of Customer Services for Airbus Africa and Middle East, emphasized reliability, saying, “We are proud to support Ethiopian Airlines with our Flight Hour Services solution to enhance fleet reliability and streamline maintenance operations for its A350s.”
Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airline to operate both the A350-900 (from June 2016) and the A350-1000 (from November 2024). It has also been voted the best airline in Africa for seven years in a row and the best business class in Africa for six years in a row.
In 2024, it was ranked the largest airline in Africa based on available seat miles (ASMs). ET led the carriers in Africa, with ASMs totaling 3,683,677,967 in April of last year.
