Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, is now expected to retire in 2026, extending his tenure by two years beyond the initial plan.
According to birrmetrics, he was initially set to leave the post in 2024 but extended his term at the request of the airline’s board, which sought continuity during a period of operational growth and economic uncertainty.
Speaking to journalists on August 5, 2025, alongside a press conference held earlier in the day, Mesfin confirmed that he plans to resign in 2026—one year after reaching the company’s official retirement age. “I will resign one year later,” he said, adding that his departure would mark the completion of a five-year term as CEO.
Mesfin was appointed Group CEO in March 2022 following the early retirement of longtime chief Tewolde GebreMariam. He had previously served as Chief Operating Officer for more than a decade and briefly led ASKY Airlines, a regional affiliate of Ethiopian.
He joined Ethiopian Airlines in 1984 as an avionics engineer and held senior positions across engineering, IT, and operations. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Addis Ababa University, and an MBA from the Open University in the United Kingdom. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
His tenure as CEO has been defined by fleet modernisation, international route expansion, and resilience in the face of foreign exchange pressures and wider macroeconomic headwinds. The airline reported a 20 percent profit increase in the latest fiscal year.
