Ethiopian Airlines appears to be introducing two new business class seats on its 787 and A350 fleet. While no official statement has been made, a promotional video from the airline highlights the new product on its A350. The products are a significant upgrade from Ethiopian’s current 2-2-2 business class product.
Ethiopian Airlines first rolled out an updated business class product on its most recent 787-9 aircraft. The cabin is configured out in a 1-2-1 configuration, giving all passenger direct aisle access and a lot more space.
The seats themselves are in a reverse-herringbone design, which means window seats are angled toward the window, adding more privacy. Middle seat pairs alternate between being closer to each other and further apart. The cabin uses a similar color scheme to Ethiopian’s current product with a mix of red seats and silver accents.
The new product was spotted by enthusiasts on Twitter soon after Ethiopian took delivery of its newest 787-9. The seats are fairly common now and similar to those found on Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, Air Canada, and many others. Overall, the product is a massive leap from Ethiopian’s old business class.
Ethiopian recently took delivery of two A350-900s this week, bringing its A350 fleet size to 15. While there was much celebration of the deliveries themselves, Ethiopian also quietly unveiled a new business class product on the aircraft. While the cabin is also laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, the seats are slightly different from the new 787 ones.
The window seats are offset from each other, alternating from being closer to the window or the aisle. They also feature a curved cocoon-like design, which adds much more privacy. Middle seats are closer apart or spaced out in alternate rows, with high privacy dividers if you don’t know your seatmate.
There are also no overhead bins over the middle seats, making the cabin feel a lot more spacious than the 787. This product is quite common across the industry and the seats are similar to those on Turkish Airlines and others. Overall, the seat is likely a good pick for long-haul flights on the A350.
The two new business class products are a massive leap from Ethiopian’s current 2-2-2 business class on its wide bodies. Those seats offer much less privacy and space than either of the new products. Nearly all other airlines have opted to move to a 1-2-1 configuration on their A350s.
It’s currently unclear if Ethiopian will retrofit its older A350s and 787s, or even the 777s, with the new cabin layout. The airline is currently flying 40% of its pre-pandemic capacity, which means it will likely defer expensive retrofits. For now, only a few lucky passengers will get to fly the airline’s new business class.
About Guide2Uganda
Guide2Uganda (www.guide2uganda.ug) is the most comprehensive source of information about Uganda that exists on the web, with more content on Uganda and surrounding towns, attractions, museums and galleries than any other online guide that currently exists for Uganda as well as being a dynamic news and comprehensive events driven site with content being added daily.
According to WeFollow & Peer Index (whom both measure online influence) we are among the most influential online media organizations in Uganda. We were also awarded for ‘’Best Destination Website in Uganda’’ by Jumia Travel Uganda in the 2017-2018 Africa Travel Awards. If you are planning a visit to Uganda you can always reach us on; info@guide2uganda.ug
