In a statement Monday, Boeing said the order, previously unidentified on the its orders & deliveries website, also included options and purchase rights for a further 15 737 MAX 8s.
The order represented the largest single Boeing order by number of airplanes from an African carrier, it said.
Tewolde Gebremariam, chief executive officer of Ethiopian, said the order underlined the airline’s commitment to its 15-year strategic plan, ‘Vision 2025’, in which the airline would strive to become the leading airline group in Africa carrying 18 million passengers per annum.
“The 737 MAX will form a key component of that strategic vision, enhancing our single-aisle fleet and keeping us at the forefront of African aviation,” he said.
Boeing said the plane incorporated the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, advanced technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.
The 737 MAX has a total of 2,294 orders from 47 customers worldwide, it said.
— BERNAMA
