Aircraft delivery delays at Boeing are holding back Ethiopian Airlines’ growth plans, even as Africa’s largest carrier prepares for a major airport expansion and continued passenger growth, Group CEO Mesfin Tasew told Bloomberg.

The airline has more than 50 aircraft on order from Boeing, but slower-than-expected deliveries have created a fleet shortage that could persist for up to two years, he said. "We still have a shortage compared to our longer-term plan," he said. "This will continue, maybe for the coming two years."

Ethiopian Airlines expects widebody aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus to begin arriving "in large numbers" after that period, allowing it to realign with its growth strategy. The carrier has ordered at least eight B777X (B777-9s), now slated to enter service in 2027 instead of next year, with deliveries expected until 2030.

While narrowbody deliveries remain on schedule, the delays could force Ethiopian Airlines, like other global carriers dependent on Boeing, to adjust route expansion plans or extend the lifespan of older jets. Despite the setbacks, the airline forecasts passenger growth between 12% and 15% this year.

"We're opening new routes. We're increasing frequencies. As a result of this, we expect to grow in terms of passenger numbers at a double-digit rate. This will continue," he assured. "Now we have a shortage of aircraft; otherwise, we would have grown even faster than 15%."

In terms of network expansion, the airline will be targeting all continents, Mesfin said. In Africa, it is expanding its reach from primary capitals to secondary cities. At the same time, it will continue to expand into Asia and China, while adding more destinations in Europe and North America.

Mesfin had already raised concerns about aircraft shortages in June, when he told ch-aviation that continued delivery delays into next year could force a revision of interim growth projections. "It will probably not affect our Vision 2035, but in the interim, growth may be slower before accelerating faster," he said.

In June, in addition to the B777-9 delay, outstanding orders for eleven A350-900s and eleven B787-9s were delayed to 2028, a year later than initially expected.

Ethiopia will begin construction in January on a long-planned USD10 billion airport at Abusera, about 40 kilometres south of the capital Addis Ababa. The new hub is designed to handle 60 million passengers initially and 110 million by 2029, easing congestion at Addis Ababa International/Bole International Airport, which is nearing its 25 million-passenger capacity.

Ethiopian Airlines plans to fund 30% of the project and has received strong interest from potential lenders, including the African Development Bank, which may contribute USD500 million, and the US International Development Finance Corp., Mesfin said.

Boeing declined to comment and deferred to the airline when approached by ch-aviation.