Ethiopian Airlines has reported more than 4.4 billion US dollars in revenue in just the first six months of its current fiscal year, underscoring the carrier’s role as a powerful engine for tourism growth and a rising force in global aviation. The latest figures, announced in Addis Ababa on February 10, 2026, highlight how Africa’s largest airline is leveraging network expansion, a fast-growing fleet, and major infrastructure investments to cement Ethiopia’s status as a continental travel hub and a preferred gateway between Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.
Half-Year Revenue Surges Past Four Billion Dollars
The Ethiopian Airlines Group disclosed that it generated 4.4 billion US dollars in revenue during the first half of the Ethiopian fiscal year that began on July 8, 2025. The performance represents a robust 14 percent increase compared with the same period a year earlier, signaling accelerating momentum following the airline’s record full-year revenue of 7.6 billion dollars in the 2024–2025 fiscal year.
Group chief executive officer Mesfin Tasew said the strong results were driven by broad-based growth across passenger and cargo operations, supported by continued fleet expansion and a busier flight schedule. In just six months, the carrier transported 10.64 million passengers on domestic and international routes, a figure that positions the airline to surpass last year’s full-year passenger total if current trends continue.
The half-year figures build on a multi-year growth trajectory. In the fiscal year ending July 7, 2025, Ethiopian Airlines reported 7.6 billion dollars in revenue, up 8 percent year on year, while carrying about 19 million passengers. That performance already placed it at the forefront of African aviation in both scale and profitability. The latest mid-year update suggests that the airline is now moving beyond recovery from the pandemic era and entering a phase of structural expansion that is reshaping travel to and from the continent.
Fleet Expansion and Global Connectivity
A central pillar of Ethiopian Airlines’ growth strategy is the rapid expansion and modernization of its fleet. According to the latest briefing, the airline now operates 170 aircraft, including passenger jets, freighters, and private aircraft. This makes it the largest fleet on the continent by a significant margin and enables the airline to serve an extensive network of passenger and cargo destinations.
Over the first half of the current fiscal year, seven new aircraft joined the fleet, building on the 13 aircraft added in the previous fiscal year. Many of these are next-generation, fuel-efficient models that not only expand capacity but also help improve operating economics and reduce environmental impact. The steady stream of deliveries supports the airline’s long-term Vision 2035 strategy, which aims to more than double fleet numbers from roughly 140 aircraft at the beginning of the decade to over 270 by 2035.
This growing fleet underpins one of the most comprehensive route networks in Africa. Ethiopian Airlines now serves around 145 international destinations, connecting cities across Africa with major hubs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. In the latest reporting period, three new destinations were added, and the airline continues to refine its hub-and-spoke model centered on Addis Ababa. By feeding traffic from secondary African cities into a global network, the carrier has turned the Ethiopian capital into a strategic crossroads for both business and leisure travelers.
Tourism Growth and Ethiopia’s Rising Profile
The financial and operational performance of Ethiopian Airlines is increasingly intertwined with Ethiopia’s broader tourism ambitions. By boosting connectivity and frequencies, the airline is making it easier for international visitors to reach Ethiopia’s cultural, historical, and natural attractions, from the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela to the highlands and national parks that define the country’s landscapes.
Improved air access has been a crucial factor in efforts to diversify the Ethiopian economy beyond agriculture and manufacturing, supporting a growing ecosystem of hotels, tour operators, conference centers, and hospitality services. Addis Ababa’s emergence as a major African conference and diplomatic hub, together with the presence of regional institutions and multinational organizations, has further stimulated business travel and meetings tourism.
Regional tourism is also benefiting from Ethiopian’s increasingly dense intra-African network. With more than 60 African destinations, the airline connects secondary and tertiary cities that previously had limited or no direct long-haul connectivity. For travelers from West or Southern Africa heading to Asia or the Middle East, routing through Addis Ababa has become a competitive alternative to longer routings via the Gulf or Europe. This not only channels additional visitors through Ethiopia itself but also reinforces the country’s brand as a welcoming, strategically located gateway to the continent.
Cargo, Trade, and the Logistics Backbone of Travel
Passenger traffic is only one part of the story. Ethiopian Airlines has become a major cargo powerhouse, and the latest half-year figures show just how central freight operations are to the Group’s revenue mix. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the airline transported around 451,000 tonnes of cargo, a roughly 19 percent increase from the same period a year earlier.
This cargo network connects African producers with global markets, carrying everything from perishables and flowers to manufactured goods and pharmaceuticals. Addis Ababa’s position as a cargo hub has encouraged investment in export-oriented sectors such as horticulture, while providing a reliable bridge for imports essential to Ethiopia’s own industrialization and service sectors.
The expansion of cargo operations supports tourism and travel in several indirect ways. Reliable freight connectivity helps international hotel chains, restaurants, and tour operators secure the supplies they need, from food and beverages to furnishings and technology. At the same time, cargo revenues strengthen the financial base of the airline, enabling continued investment in new aircraft, improved services, and route development that directly benefit travelers.
Mega Airport Projects and Infrastructure Investment
To support its rapidly growing traffic, Ethiopian Airlines is investing heavily in infrastructure, most notably through the landmark Bishoftu International Airport project. Located about 45 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa, this planned mega airport is designed to become one of Africa’s largest aviation hubs and to relieve the capacity constraints of the existing Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The Bishoftu project officially broke ground in January 2026, following a series of planning and financing milestones, including partnership arrangements with institutions such as the African Development Bank. The new facility is envisioned to handle tens of millions of passengers annually once fully operational, with multiple runways and extensive aircraft parking capacity. Construction is planned in phases, with initial capacity slated to come online around the end of the decade.
In parallel, Ethiopian Airlines continues to upgrade its existing infrastructure. Bole International Airport has undergone a series of expansions and modernizations to raise its capacity and improve passenger experience. The airline has also invested in new maintenance hangars, training academies, and cargo facilities, creating an integrated aviation ecosystem that supports both operational reliability and future growth.
These infrastructure projects are not only about aviation capacity; they are also catalysts for urban development and tourism. New transport links, hotels, business districts, and logistics parks are expected to emerge around Bishoftu and Addis Ababa, transforming the region into a larger metropolitan and commercial zone that can absorb increased visitor flows and support diversified tourism offerings.
Challenges in a Volatile Global Environment
Despite its strong performance and ambitious plans, Ethiopian Airlines operates in a complex and sometimes volatile environment. The airline’s leadership has repeatedly highlighted the impact of regional conflicts in Sudan, the Middle East, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as global geopolitical tensions that can disrupt airspace, demand patterns, and operational planning.
The airline also faces industry-wide headwinds, including shortages of aircraft and engines, delays in deliveries from major manufacturers, and congestion in maintenance and repair capacity. These challenges sometimes force the airline to lease additional aircraft or adjust schedules to maintain service levels across its network.
Regulatory and policy shifts add another layer of complexity. New laws and regulations in key markets, including the United States, have at times affected traffic flows and visa issuance, particularly for African travelers. Such measures can have a direct impact on route profitability and long-term planning, even as the airline works to deepen bilateral ties and partnerships to sustain connectivity.
Nevertheless, the company’s results suggest a level of resilience that sets it apart in the African aviation landscape. While many carriers across the continent continue to struggle with profitability, Ethiopian’s diversified revenue streams, state support, and disciplined strategic planning have enabled it to navigate turbulence while continuing to invest for the long term.
Vision 2035 and the Future of African Travel
The current revenue milestone and infrastructure push are part of a broader long-term roadmap known as Vision 2035. Under this strategy, Ethiopian Airlines aims to more than double its fleet, expand its international destinations to over 200 cities, and increase annual passenger volumes to more than 65 million by 2035. The revenue target attached to this plan is around 25 billion dollars, positioning the airline among the major global network carriers by the middle of the next decade.
This vision has profound implications for tourism across Africa. If achieved, it would dramatically expand the number of direct and one-stop connections linking African destinations with the rest of the world, reducing travel times and improving the overall competitiveness of African tourism products. Intra-African connectivity, often cited as a major barrier to regional travel, would receive a significant boost as new city pairs are opened and frequencies increased.
For travelers, the realization of Vision 2035 could mean more choices of routes and schedules, better connections between smaller African cities and global hubs, and potentially more competitive fares as capacity rises. For national tourism boards and private operators, Ethiopian’s growth offers an opportunity to design itineraries and partnerships that leverage Addis Ababa’s role as a transit and stopover hub, encouraging visitors to spend additional nights in Ethiopia on their way to other destinations.
The strategy also aligns with broader continental initiatives to liberalize air transport and promote seamless travel, including efforts to implement a single African air transport market and streamline visa policies. As one of the few African carriers with the scale and financial strength to anchor these transformations, Ethiopian Airlines is likely to remain at the center of aviation and tourism discussions in the years ahead.
Implications for Travelers and the Global Tourism Industry
For international travelers and the global tourism industry, Ethiopian Airlines’ rising revenues and expanding network translate into practical, near-term changes. New routes open up alternative corridors between regions, sometimes shortening journeys that previously required multiple connections. Expanded frequencies on popular routes provide more flexibility for both leisure and business travelers, while the airline’s growing fleet allows for improved cabin products and upgraded onboard services.
Tour operators and travel agencies are increasingly incorporating Ethiopian’s network into multi-country African itineraries, using Addis Ababa as a central hub to link East, West, and Southern Africa. This creates new possibilities for safari circuits, cultural tours, and business delegations that combine several countries in a single trip. For destinations off the traditional tourist map, improved air access through Ethiopian’s routes can be a game changer, making it feasible to attract the long-haul visitors needed to build a sustainable tourism economy.
At the same time, the airline’s investment in cargo, logistics, and airport infrastructure contributes to a more robust travel ecosystem. As hotels, restaurants, and service providers gain better access to supplies and international markets, they are better positioned to meet the expectations of discerning travelers. The result is a reinforcing cycle: stronger aviation drives more tourism, which in turn supports further investment in capacity and quality across the sector.
With more than four billion dollars in revenue in just half a year, Ethiopian Airlines is not merely posting impressive financial results. It is laying the groundwork for a new era in African and global travel, in which Ethiopia stands at the crossroads of continents and the airline itself functions as both an economic powerhouse and an ambassador for a rapidly changing destination. For travelers looking toward Africa, and for the tourism industry watching the continent’s ascent, the trajectory of Ethiopian Airlines has become a key barometer of what the next decade of global mobility may look like.