Ethiopian Airlines’ chief executive told reporters on Monday that the airline plans to replace some of its aging planes and increase its domestic fleet by ordering at least 20 regional or small narrowbody jets.
According to CEO Mesfin Tasew Bekele, the airline is evaluating the Boeing 737 MAX 7, Airbus A220 (AIR.PA), and Embraer E-2 (EMBR3.SA).
The type selected will determine the ultimate order quantity. The Boeing 737 MAX 7, which is at the bottom of a larger category and has more seats than the Airbus A220 and Embraer E-2, has not yet received certification.
Despite the high travel demand, Africa’s biggest airline has been hindered by delays in jet deliveries and the grounding of certain aircraft because of engine shortages brought on by supply chain interruptions.
The airline is among several that are experiencing aircraft grounded due to bottlenecks in engine maintenance plants; Ethiopian has three Boeing 787 wide-body jets grounded due to a shortage of Rolls-Royce engines, and five turboprop aircraft grounded due to a shortage of RTX’s Pratt & Whitney engines. The company is also in discussions with lessors to bring on board some jets to ease capacity constraints. 
