🇪🇹EthiopiaEast Africa
Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines mark decades of partnership and future growth plans
via The Reporter Ethiopia6 min read
This month, Ethiopian Airlines celebrates 80 years since its first commercial flight, and later this year, it will commemorate 64 years since ordering its first aircraft from Boeing. The two companies have maintained a strong relationship for over six decades, with Boeing jets forming a significant portion of Ethiopian Airlines' fleet. Boeing also opened an office in Addis Ababa last year. As Ethiopian Airlines develops a multi-billion dollar airport in Bishoftu, it plans to expand its fleet with 19 new Boeing jets, including nine 787 Dreamliners. Anbessie Yitbarek, Boeing's vice president of commercial sales and marketing for Africa, highlighted the long-standing partnership. He noted that Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airline to enter the jet age in 1962 with the Boeing 720B, and has consistently been among the first in Africa to introduce new Boeing aircraft, enabling its growth from a regional to a global carrier. Boeing's contributions include strategic partnerships, capacity building, and talent development, such as an MoU signed in 2019 to position Ethiopia as Africa's aviation hub, focusing on industrial development, advanced training, and leadership development. Boeing also collaborates with Cranfield University and Ethiopian Aviation University on training programs and community initiatives. Ethiopian Airlines' success is attributed to its consistent growth strategy, early adoption of advanced aircraft technology, and sustained investment in training and
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
Ethiopia has appointed Ambassador Lemlem Fiseha Minale as its new permanent representative to the African Union, succeeding Ambassador Hirut Zemene. Ambassador Lemlem presented her credentials to Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. Youssouf congratulated Ambassador Lemlem, noting her experience and leadership would strengthen cooperation between Ethiopia and the continental body. He also commended Ethiopia's support for the AU and its recent electoral process. The officials discussed regional and international developments and AU priorities. Youssouf reaffirmed the commission's commitment to working with Ethiopia to advance AU objectives. Ambassador Lemlem reiterated Ethiopia's commitment to supporting the African Union and its continental agenda, conveying greetings from Ethiopia's leadership. Ethiopia hosts the AU headquarters and is a significant member state.
Must ReadForeign Minister Gedion Timothewos PhD urged African governments to collaborate in navigating the rapidly changing global geopolitical landscape. In an article for the IMF's F&D Magazine, Gedion highlighted that Sub-Saharan Africa faces reduced development assistance and challenging investment prospects as the world shifts from economic harmony to power-based rivalry. He noted that geopolitics is replacing globalization, with economic decisions increasingly influenced by geopolitical calculations, and trade and critical resources being weaponized. Gedion, formerly the Ethiopian Minister of Justice, pointed out the diminished effectiveness of global organizations like the UN Security Council and called for African governments to unite to address challenges such as renewed global interest in the continent's mineral resources. He emphasized that with the right policies and an adaptive mindset, Africa can transform this crisis into an opportunity, stressing the importance of collaboration over division for the continent's shared prosperity.
Must ReadA group of investors holding Ethiopia's billion-dollar Eurobond debt are threatening to sue the Ethiopian government in UK courts. This follows the collapse of debt restructuring negotiations last month. Ethiopia defaulted on a 33 million USD coupon payment in December 2023, marking its first external debt default. Bondholders had previously threatened legal action after earlier unsuccessful restructuring efforts. In January 2026, an agreement in principle reached with bondholders was rejected by Ethiopia’s Official Creditors Committee. The Ad Hoc Committee representing bondholders rejected a new proposal last month, which included a 12 percent haircut and staggered payments totaling 880 million USD through July 2029. Debt Justice, a UK-based organization, has called the bondholders' plans to sue "outrageous," stating that the bondholders stood to make 28 percent more profit under the Ethiopian government’s latest proposal than if they had lent to the US government. The Eurobond was issued in 2014 at an interest rate of over 6.6 percent and was primarily used to fund the construction of industrial parks.
Must ReadEthSwitch, Ethiopia’s national payment switch, announced its instant payment platform, EthioPay-IPS, processed more than one million transactions in a single day, handling over five billion Birr. This achievement marks a significant step in Ethiopia's efforts to expand digital payments and financial inclusion. The milestone was reached as Ethiopia accelerates the modernization of its financial sector and the expansion of digital financial services, with reforms aimed at increasing interoperability among financial institutions. Digital transactions surpassed ATM withdrawals for the first time in 2024/25. EthSwitch, owned by the National Bank of Ethiopia and other financial entities, operates the national payments infrastructure. Yilebes Addis, chief executive of EthSwitch, stated that this threshold demonstrates growing demand for interoperable instant payment services. The EthioPay-IPS platform, built on BPC’s SmartVista technology, facilitates real-time account-to-account and wallet-to-wallet transfers, QR-code payments, and supports payments for utilities, taxes, and government services. Dahlak Yigezu, BPC’s country manager for Ethiopia, noted that this milestone reflects the continued expansion of the country’s digital payments ecosystem, highlighting the role of interoperable payment infrastructure in reducing cash dependence and broadening access to formal financial services.