Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest and most profitable carrier, is grappling with the effects of a recent seven-week strike at Boeing, its CEO, Mesfin Tasew, revealed on Friday. The strike, which disrupted production of Boeing’s popular 737 MAX and 777 jets, could have lasting consequences for the airline’s growth. Ethiopian Airlines recently received deliveries of Airbus A350-900s, helping mitigate some of the impact. Ethiopian Airlines, which carried 17.1 million passengers and saw a 14% rise in revenue in the 2023/24 financial year, relies heavily on new aircraft to support its growth. Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights with the 737 MAX in February 2022.
