PARIS (Reuters) - Boeing (N:BA) announced at the Paris air show on Wednesday that Ethiopian Airlines was the unidentified customer behind a previously announced order for six 787-8 Dreamliners, worth $1.3 billion at list prices.
The carrier currently operates 13 787s, and the Dreamliners are "part of Ethiopian's long-term strategy to increase capacity and provide greater route flexibility to and from its hub in Addis Ababa", Boeing said.
Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Tewolde GebreMariam
added that the carrier planned to "keep investing heavily in technologically advanced and modern airplanes" as part of its plans to modernise and expand its fleet.
Ethiopian Airlines is the first African operator of the 787 and currently has an all-Boeing passenger fleet, Boeing said.