American aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced a new order from Ethiopian Airlines on Tuesday on the second day of the Dubai air show, following a mega contract closed the previous day with Emirates.

The African airline has ordered 20 units of the Boeing 737-8 and 11 of the Boeing 787-9, and has taken an option for 36 additional aircraft, with the aim of "expanding our network and supporting our growth", according to its CEO, Mesfin. Tasew, during a press conference.

Since the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX southeast of Addis Ababa in 2019, which resulted in the deaths of 157 people, airlines around the world had grounded those planes.

But Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, once again has confidence in this plane, since according to the airline, the model is now safe:

«The 737 MAX accident that occurred four years ago is truly a very sad tragedy. “We have verified and confirmed that the design defect of this aircraft has been fully corrected by Boeing, and we once again have confidence in this aircraft,” he stated.

Boeing described this deal as “the largest purchase of Boeing aircraft in African history,” without providing the sales price.

At list price, rarely applied due to discounts granted, the transaction represents more than $5.6 billion.

Article source: africanews