Ethiopian Airlines announced on Wednesday that it will purchase 11 Airbus wide-body jets.
In particular, Ethiopia's flagship airline signed a memorandum of understanding for 11 Airbus A350-900s capable of flying short-haul to ultra-long-haul routes, bringing its total A350 fleet to 33 aircraft.
"We are keen to expand our fleet size, acquiring the latest technology aircraft," company's CEO Mesfin Tasew said.
The company added that under the terms of the memorandum, it has an option to acquire six more jets.
A day earlier, the state-owned carrier also placed an order with Boeing for 20 737-8 short-haul airplanes and 11 787-9 Dreamliners, with an option to expand the order to 36 airplanes.
"The agreement, signed by Ethiopia’s national carrier at the Dubai Airshow, represents the largest-ever purchase of Boeing airplanes in African history," the company said in a statement.
Tasew said at a press conference on Tuesday that the airline airline will continue to upgrade its fleet and additional orders are likely in the near future.
Having achieved its strategic plan, Vision 2025, ahead of schedule, Ethiopian Airlines is now, according to the website, implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2035, which will see it become one of the 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world.