Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, is grappling with the effects of a seven-week strike at Boeing, its CEO Mesfin Tasew revealed on Friday. The strike, which disrupted production of Boeing’s flagship 737 MAX and 777 jets, has thrown the airline’s delivery schedule into chaos.
The strike, driven by worker frustration over stagnant pay, compounded existing challenges for Boeing, particularly following a mid-flight incident in January when a fuselage panel blew off a 737 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines. Mesfin said the delays were affecting Ethiopian Airlines’ long-term growth prospects, with deliveries still “sleeping” months after they were originally expected.
Despite facing delays, Mesfin acknowledged that European competitor Airbus has met its delivery targets, further highlighting Boeing’s struggles. Boeing confirmed it would take several weeks to fully resume production, given the complexity of restarting its manufacturing lines.
The delay comes at a critical time for Ethiopian Airlines, which posted a 14 percent revenue increase for the 2023/24 financial year, carrying 17.1 million passengers. However, the airline’s growth prospects are now at risk due to the stalled Boeing orders.
Tensions between Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing were heightened after the tragic 2019 crash of a 737 MAX, which led to the global grounding of the aircraft. Mesfin, while acknowledging the “serious scar” left by the disaster, expressed continued confidence in Boeing’s capabilities.
In addition to production delays, regional instability in Sudan and the Middle East has also impacted Ethiopian Airlines, with flights to Beirut, Khartoum, and Tel Aviv suspended. Despite these setbacks, Mesfin remains optimistic, thanks to the recent addition of Airbus A350-900s to the fleet.
