Ethiopian Airlines has announced plans to launch flights to Australia in 2028, as it closes the final continental gap in a network that already stretches across Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.
If the plan materialises, Ethiopian Airlines will become the only African carrier with direct operational presence on every continent, a symbolic and commercial milestone that reflects not just aviation ambition, but Ethiopia’s broader economic trajectory.
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Ethiopian Airlines is inseparable from Ethiopia itself, reflecting the country’s ambition, resilience, and rising global stature. In 2025, Ethiopia’s economy is projected to reach $205–210 billion, growing at 6.5–7%, driven by services, manufacturing, agriculture, and massive infrastructure expansion. With a population of 125 million and a GDP per capita of roughly $1,650, aviation now contributes an estimated 5–7% of GDP, underscoring how Ethiopian Airlines has become not just a symbol of national pride but a central economic pillar, linking the country’s rapid development to its role as Africa’s premier aviation gateway.
The Airline maintains its position as Africa’s largest and most financially resilient carrier, posting $7.6 billion in revenue for FY2024/25, an 8% increase on the back of over 19 million passengers, a 145-strong fleet, and the continent’s most extensive network spanning 145 global cities, including more than 65 African destinations. The airline added 13 new aircraft and moved over 785,000 tonnes of cargo, while its momentum has only accelerated into FY2025/26, with half-year revenue surging 14% year-on-year to $4.5 billion, reinforcing its rare combination of scale, profitability, and sustained growth in an industry where such consistency is exceptional.
The airline operates a modern, diversified fleet anchored by Africa’s largest Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, alongside Airbus A350S and an expanding narrow-body fleet including the Boeing 737 Max. A Star Alliance member since 2011, the airline has also earned the distinction of Skytrax Best Airline in Africa for eight consecutive years, cementing its reputation as the continent’s most awarded carrier through strategic fleet modernisation and consistent service excellence.
Ethiopian Airlines faces significant hurdles in launching direct flights to Australia, one of the longest commercial corridors from Africa, due to a critical shortage of wide-body aircraft. CEO Mesfin Tasew confirmed that at least two large wide-body jets are required for the route, but delivery timelines from manufacturers extend to a minimum of two years, with new aircraft not expected until 2028. As an interim measure, the airline is exploring leasing options to bridge the gap and eventually connect Africa’s largest carrier with the Australian market.
While Ethiopian Airlines continues to receive Boeing 737 Max aircraft through 2027, these narrow-body jets are unsuitable for the ultra-long-haul demands of a direct Africa–Australia route. Instead, the airline would need long-range wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A350-1000, supported by payload-range optimisation, meticulous fuel planning, and robust connecting traffic feed from across Africa and Europe. Two Australian cities have been shortlisted for the proposed service, though their identities remain undisclosed, underscoring that the primary obstacle remains securing the right aircraft rather than destination selection.
For Ethiopian Airlines, launching direct flights to Australia represents the final piece of a long-held strategic ambition: becoming the only African carrier to operate on all six inhabited continents. This network completion is not merely symbolic; it strengthens the airline’s global brand positioning, amplifies its influence within Star Alliance, secures lucrative corporate travel contracts, and integrates cargo intercontinental routes into a seamless global network. At a time when Africa–Asia-Pacific trade is rapidly expanding in agriculture, minerals, pharmaceuticals, and tourism, direct connectivity offers a critical alternative to transit via Middle Eastern hubs, reducing dependency on competitors while leveraging Addis Ababa’s unique advantage as a gateway for shorter intra-African connections, competitive pricing, and an integrated cargo operation.
Founded in 1945 with technical assistance from TWA but always majority Ethiopian-owned, the airline evolved through distinct phases of strategic discipline. From aggressive local training and early jet adoption in its first three decades, to surviving liberalisation and state transitions in the 1990s while other African carriers collapsed, Ethiopian Airlines emerged resilient. Its modern trajectory was defined by the Vision 2010 and Vision 2025 strategies, both achieved ahead of schedule through early adoption of the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, and deliberate diversification into cargo, MRO, aviation academy, catering, and ground handling. This diversified model insulated the airline during global shocks and positioned it not merely as a carrier but as an integrated aviation ecosystem.
Ethiopian Airlines has repeatedly functioned as a macroeconomic stabiliser for the national economy. During COVID-19, it pivoted swiftly to cargo, converting passenger aircraft to become Africa’s largest transporter of PPE and sustaining critical foreign currency inflows when other sectors stalled. Its growth has been intertwined with national infrastructure: the expansion of Bole International Airport to 25 million passengers, the current $12.5 billion mega-airport project designed for 60–100 million passengers, and domestic airport upgrades reflect an airline that grows in lockstep with the state. More broadly, Ethiopian cargo operations became the logistics spine of Ethiopia’s export-led industrialisation, supporting horticulture, textiles, and pharmaceuticals while the government replicated its strategic expansion model in railways, industrial parks, and manufacturing zones.
With $7.6 billion in annual revenue, Ethiopian Airlines is Ethiopia’s largest foreign exchange earner, a major taxpayer, and supports over 500,000 jobs across its direct and indirect ecosystem. No other African carrier matches its combination of consistent profitability, aggressive reinvestment, and diversified revenue streams spanning cargo, training, and maintenance. Unlike regional peers such as Kenya Airways or South African Airways, Ethiopian has maintained state ownership without sacrificing managerial autonomy, enabling long-term planning and fleet modernisation toward a target of 270+ aircraft and 67 million annual passengers by 2035. Its forthcoming mega-airport positions Addis Ababa as a potential rival to Dubai or Istanbul, while its cargo strategy anchors Africa’s agricultural and pharmaceutical logistics future.
Aircraft delivery bottlenecks, engine shortages, geopolitical instability, hub congestion, fuel costs, and national currency pressures all present real constraints, and the Australia route’s timing hinges entirely on securing wide-body aircraft not expected until 2028. Yet the direction is unmistakable. With Ethiopia’s GDP exceeding $205 billion and sustained 6–7% growth, the Australia expansion signals confidence in the country’s long-term economic trajectory. It reinforces Addis Ababa as Africa’s gateway, expands export and tourism corridors, strengthens foreign exchange generation, and projects geopolitical soft power. Ethiopian Airlines is not building a regional airline; it is building a global aviation power headquartered in Africa. The Australia route, when realised, will not merely add another long-haul destination; it will complete a continental circuit decade in the making, transforming a symbolic ambition into a structural economic reality.
