Ethiopian Achieves Major MRO Breakthrough with First A350-900 Full Strip and Paint Program in Africa

Addis Ababa, 26 December 2025

Ethiopian Airlines, the leading carrier in Africa and one of the fastest-growing airline brands globally, is proud to announce the successful completion of Africa’s first full strip-and-paint program of the Airbus A350-900 aircraft on two of its aircraft, marking a significant advancement in Ethiopian MRO’s capacity, technical expertise, and commitment to operational excellence. This achievement marks yet another milestone following the recent development of full strip-and-paint capabilities on the Boeing 787 fleet composite painting capability.

Appreciating the major accomplishment, Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, remarked: “The successful execution of our full strip-and-paint project on two of our A350-900 aircraft coupled with the completion of paint capability on the B787 earlier this year, marks a significant step forward in Ethiopian’s in-house widebody advanced composite structure paint capabilities. This project is yet another milestone which reflects Ethiopian’s ongoing commitment to investing in world-class MRO capabilities, strengthening our operational resilience, enhancing our self-reliance, and elevating our global standing. Beyond saving costs, this achievement enables us to generate additional revenue and reinforce our position as a leading MRO service provider in the continent and the region.”

As one of the leading aircraft maintenance service providers in the continent and the Middle East, Ethiopian MRO has been offering top-notch aircraft maintenance services, including advanced aircraft and aircraft parts painting and coating solutions through its modern paint shop and state-of-the-art dedicated paint hangar for nearly six decades, serving not only Ethiopian Airlines’ own fleet but also third-party customers.

Currently, Ethiopian Airlines possesses comprehensive in-house aircraft painting and specialized multi-layer coating capabilities on both advanced composite and aluminum airframes, across its entire fleet, enabling the airline to efficiently handle painting and coating projects using highly advanced application methods like High-Volume Low-Pressure (HVLP) and electrostatic systems spraying.

About Ethiopian

Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is a true African success story, transforming a visionary dream into a globally renowned reality for nearly eight decades. Operating flights to more than 160 domestic and international passenger, and cargo destinations across five continents, Ethiopian bridges the gaps between Africa and the world. Emphasizing passenger comfort and environmental sustainability, Ethiopian utilizes ultra-modern aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900, A350-1000 and De Havilland Q400.

Ethiopian, the Star Alliance member airline, champions in various coveted awards including Skytrax’s ‘Best Airline in Africa Award’ for eight consecutive years, APEX ‘Best Overall in Africa’ award and ‘Leadership in Connecting Africa through Transport’ Award among others. Ethiopian aims to further excel in its success through a strategic plan dubbed ‘Vision 2035’ and become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world. Embracing a Pan-African spirit, Ethiopian is pursuing multi-hub strategy through hubs in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines, in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways, and in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with Air Congo.

For more information, visit our website at  www.ethiopianairlines.com  email us at CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com , or call us at (251-11)517-8913/8165/8907.