Ethiopian Airlines has launched its first Airbus A350-1000 service to Lagos, Nigeria, marking a notable achievement as the first African airline to operate this advanced aircraft. 

Flight data from Flightradar shows that the A350-1000 departed from Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport on November 7, 2024, at 09:30 and landed at Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 12:14. The airline plans to extend the A350-1000’s service to routes including Dubai and Accra. 

This aircraft, named "Ethiopia Land of Origins" and registered as ET-BAW, was delivered to Ethiopia from Airbus' Toulouse–Blagnac facility in France on November 5, 2024.

The 395-seat A350-1000, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, provides a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions over older twin-aisle models. Ethiopian has also diversified its fleet by incorporating the A350 freighter variant.

In July 2022, Ethiopian converted four of its original A350-900 orders to the A350-1000, expanding its commitment beyond an initial order of 22 A350-900s. This addition brings Ethiopian’s active fleet to 21 A350s, with an agreement for 11 more slated for delivery starting in 2027, a deal finalized at the 2023 Dubai Airshow.

Onboard Ethiopian’s A350-1000, passengers will benefit from continuous internet connectivity provided through GX Aviation broadband as part of Airbus' Airspace Link HBCplus program.

Aside from Ethiopian, Air Algérie is the only other African airline with A350-1000 orders. Air Algérie secured two of these aircraft on May 31, 2023, during a ceremony at its technopole in Algiers, expecting deliveries between 2025 and 2026.

Ethiopian’s long-haul fleet is further bolstered by six B777-200(LR)s, four B777-300(ER)s, nineteen 787-8s, and ten 787-9s.