Ethiopian Airlines has reported $4.4 billion in revenue for the first half of its fiscal year, exceeding its target by 2% and marking a 14% increase compared with the same period last year.
According to birrmetrics, the airline briefed reporters on Tuesday in Addis Ababa. Mesfin Tasew, the group’s chief executive, highlighted the performance, noting that the gains came despite a complex operating environment.
Cargo remained the engine behind growth. The airline transported 451,000 tonnes of freight, four percent above plan and 19 percent higher than a year ago, maintaining its position as Africa’s largest air cargo operator.
Expansion extended beyond cargo. Ethiopian Airlines added three international destinations — Lisbon, Hanoi and a route in the United Arab Emirates — bringing its global network to 145 cities. Domestically, new services to Yabello raised local destinations to 23. “We continue to extend our network to improve connectivity and support trade,” Mesfin said.
Fleet growth kept pace, with seven aircraft added, including one Airbus A350‑1000, two A350‑900s, one Boeing 787‑8, and three Boeing 737 Max 8s. The airline operates one of the youngest fleets on the continent, which it says supports efficiency and cost management.
Beyond operations, the group earned 2.5 million US dollars supplying inputs for Boeing 737 Max aircraft, reflecting its growing role in aviation manufacturing and technical services. Capital expenditure reached 302 million US dollars, 23 percent above the planned 245 million, largely directed toward aircraft acquisition, infrastructure, and support facilities.
Mesfin said the fiscal year brought new operational challenges, particularly from U.S. visa policies under President Donald Trump, which restricted entry and limited visa issuance for certain travellers. “This has forced us to reschedule flights, which reduced the number of frequencies on some routes,” he said. Global conflicts, domestic security issues, and weather disruptions also added to operational complexity.
Wholly owned by the Ethiopian government, Ethiopian Airlines has relied on fleet modernisation, cargo growth, and network expansion to sustain operations amid currency constraints and wider geopolitical uncertainty.
