ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia's national flag carrier, on Tuesday announced it has placed orders for 31 Boeing airplanes.
The airline said in a press statement that it has agreed to order 11 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 20 Boeing 737 Max airplanes.
The statement also said Ethiopian Airlines has plans to potentially order 36 more Boeing airplanes.
"This order will enable us to modernize and increase our fleet in support of Ethiopian Airlines' growth plan," Mesfin Tasew, the chief executive officer of the Ethiopian Airlines Group, was quoted as saying. "The 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX demonstrate Ethiopian Airlines' environmentally conscious decisions and its commitment to serve passengers with the latest technologically advanced airplanes."
Ethiopian Airlines currently possess a fleet of more than 80 Boeing airplanes.
Ethiopian Airlines disclosed it has reached an agreement with the U.S. airplane manufacturer to work together to provide cabin modification services for the carrier's existing 787 Dreamliner airplanes.
Founded in 1946, Ethiopian Airlines Group is the largest African carrier with more than 130 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents.
Ethiopia's national air carrier also plans to increase its aircraft fleet from 140 currently to 271 by 2035. ■