Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International) plans to launch flights to Australia in 2028, as long as the airline secures at least two additional widebodies capable of operating one of the world's longest commercial routes, Group CEO Mesfin Tasew has said.

"We need to secure at least two large aircraft to operate to the continent," he told a press conference in Addis Ababa on February 10, as quoted by the African Press Agency (APA). "It will take at least two years to receive aircraft from manufacturers."

Ethiopian Airlines' outstanding widebody orders comprise seventeen A350-900s, twenty B787-9s, and eight B777-9s, according to ch-aviation fleets data. Its widebody passenger fleet currently includes four A350-1000s, twenty-two A350-900s, six B777-200LRs, five B777-300ERs, twenty B787-8s, and ten B787-9s.

While the airline is scheduled to take delivery of narrowbody B737-8s over the next two years (it has 43 on order to add to 22 already operating), Tasew said the widebodies required for ultra-long-haul flights are not expected until 2028.

"We will most likely start flying to Australia in 2028, either by renting or purchasing, as a larger batch of aircraft will arrive after that year," he said.

He cautioned that the launch timeline remains contingent on aircraft delivery and securing the necessary equipment. He also noted that expansion to Australia would make Ethiopian Airlines the only African carrier serving all inhabited continents.

The airline has shortlisted two Australian cities for the planned launch, Tasew said but declined to name them, saying a final decision will be made once the aircraft are in place. Ethiopian Airlines currently serves 172 destinations across five continents, according to ch-aviation data.