Ethiopian Airlines Launches Africa’s First A350-900 Full Paint & Strip Service

December 29, 2025

Ethiopian Airlines has successfully completed the first full strip-and-paint program on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft in Africa, achieving a major technical milestone. The airline performed the work on two of its own aircraft at its maintenance hub in Addis Ababa, significantly advancing its in-house MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) capabilities for modern wide-body jets.

As announced on December 26, the airline has become the first in Africa to offer such a service, which significantly advances the airline’s aim for operational excellence.

Group CEO Mesfin Tasew stated the achievement reinforces the airline’s operational resilience, self-reliance, and global standing. “Beyond saving costs, this enables us to generate additional revenue and reinforce our position as a leading MRO service provider,” he said.

This latest accomplishment builds on substantial prior investment in expanding technical capacity. In July 2025, the airline inaugurated a $150 million MRO expansion project, adding a new component workshop, a central warehouse with an automated storage system, and two additional wide-body hangars, bringing its total to eight.

According to the group, Ethiopian MRO has been offering aircraft maintenance services, including advanced aircraft and parts painting and coating solutions, through its modern paint shop and state-of-the-art dedicated paint hangar for nearly six decades. The facility serves both Ethiopian Airlines’ fleet and third-party customers. The airline is one of the leading aircraft maintenance service providers in Africa and the Middle East.

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.

Established in 1957, Ethiopian MRO Services now employs over 3,000 technical staff, a facility certified by competent regulatory bodies like ETCAA, FAA ,EASA and other Middle east and African Civil Aviation Authorities.

The division serves the airline’s own fleet of over 140 aircraft and offers total care and other supports for third party customers like ASKY Airlines, Malawian, Tchadia airlines, Rwandair, Jambojet, Zambia Airways , providing everything from line maintenance to advanced composite painting for Boeing 787 and now Airbus A350 aircraft.