Ethiopian Airlines Upgrades Premium Cabins with Collins Aerospace Seats

Ethiopian Airlines and Collins Aerospace Forge Major Deal to Redefine Premium Cabins

In a significant move to bolster its position as a leading global carrier, Ethiopian Airlines has announced a major agreement with Collins Aerospace, an RTX business. The deal, unveiled at the Dubai Air Show, focuses on a comprehensive upgrade of the premium cabin seating across the airline’s new and existing aircraft fleets. This collaboration signals a clear strategic direction for Africa’s largest airline, centering on enhancing passenger comfort and creating a standardized, high-quality travel experience for its premium customers. The investment is not merely about new seats; it’s a calculated effort to compete at the highest level of international air travel.

The partnership will see the introduction of two distinct, state-of-the-art business class products. Ethiopian’s new fleet of 11 Airbus A350-900 aircraft will be fitted with the luxurious ‘Elevation’ suites, while 56 of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will receive the ‘Parallel Diamond’ business class seats. This dual-pronged approach ensures that passengers will experience a consistent level of comfort and privacy, whether they are flying on long-haul international routes or on key single-aisle journeys. By investing heavily in its premium offerings, Ethiopian Airlines is directly addressing the growing demand for more comfortable and private air travel, aiming to capture a larger share of the lucrative business and leisure traveler market.

Raising the Bar: The ‘Elevation’ Suite on the A350-900

The centerpiece of this fleet enhancement is the selection of the Collins ‘Elevation’ suite for the airline’s 11 new Airbus A350-900 Aircraft. This product represents the pinnacle of modern business class design, offering a fully lie-flat seat within a highly private enclosure. The suite features a reverse herringbone layout, a design choice known for providing passengers with both direct aisle access and a sense of personal space. Key features include a privacy door, which transforms the seat into a secluded personal cabin, and ample, intuitively integrated storage areas for personal belongings.

What makes the Elevation suite particularly strategic is its clever engineering, which maximizes individual passenger space, providing more room for hips, knees, and elbows, without negatively impacting the overall cabin density. This allows the airline to offer a superior product without compromising on the number of seats. Furthermore, this choice ensures product consistency across Ethiopian’s premier long-haul fleet. The airline is also installing Elevation suites on its upcoming Boeing 777-9 aircraft, meaning passengers will soon enjoy the same seamless, high-quality experience on multiple flagship planes.

As Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Operating Officer, Retta Melaku, stated, the airline is investing in products that will “take our customers’ comfort and overall flight experience to the next level.”

This commitment to a unified premium product is a powerful branding tool. It builds passenger trust and loyalty, as travelers know what to expect when they book a business class ticket on a flagship Ethiopian route. It simplifies the travel experience and positions the airline as a carrier that prioritizes quality and consistency, directly competing with other major international airlines that have also invested heavily in their premium cabins.

Elevating the Single-Aisle Experience: ‘Parallel Diamond’ on the 737 MAX

The agreement extends beyond widebody jets, bringing a true premium experience to Ethiopian’s narrowbody fleet. A total of 56 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will be outfitted with Collins’ ‘Parallel Diamond’ business class seats. This is a significant upgrade, reflecting the growing trend of using single-aisle aircraft on longer routes that were once exclusively flown by larger planes. The Parallel Diamond seat is specifically designed to bring widebody comfort to a more compact cabin, transforming into a 78-inch lie-flat bed.

The design of the Parallel Diamond seat is both innovative and efficient. The seats are angled toward the aircraft’s windows, a configuration that maximizes personal space and enhances privacy for each passenger. This advanced kinematic design ensures that travelers on longer 737 MAX flights have a comfortable space to work, dine, or rest. By equipping its 737 MAX fleet with these lie-flat beds, Ethiopian Airlines is making a clear statement that a premium experience is not limited to its intercontinental flagships.

This investment in the single-aisle fleet is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge on regional and medium-haul routes. It allows the airline to offer a consistent brand promise of quality across its network. Cynthia Muklevicz, vice president of Global Airlines & Lessors at Collins Aerospace, noted that the seating solutions are “distinctly tailored to reflect and amplify Ethiopian’s rapidly expanding brand to travelers across the globe.” This move ensures that whether a passenger is flying for 10 hours on an A350 or four hours on a 737 MAX, the commitment to premium comfort remains unwavering.

A Strategic Leap Forward

The comprehensive seating agreement between Ethiopian Airlines and Collins Aerospace is more than a simple cabin refresh; it is a foundational element of the airline’s future Strategy. By selecting the Elevation and Parallel Diamond seats, the carrier is ensuring a consistent, comfortable, and private experience across its key fleets. This standardization simplifies marketing, sets clear passenger expectations, and strengthens the airline’s brand identity as a provider of world-class service.

Ultimately, this collaboration positions Ethiopian Airlines for sustained growth and enhanced competitiveness in the global Aviation market. As travelers increasingly prioritize comfort and personal space, this investment in premium cabins is likely to yield significant returns in customer loyalty and market share. It underscores the airline’s ambition to not just connect Africa with the world, but to do so as a leader in service and innovation.

FAQ

Question: Which Ethiopian Airlines aircraft are receiving new business class seats?
Answer: The airline’s 11 new Airbus A350-900 aircraft and 56 of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will be equipped with new business class seats from Collins Aerospace.

Question: What are the names of the new seating products?
Answer: The Airbus A350-900 fleet will feature the ‘Elevation’ suite, while the Boeing 737 MAX fleet will be outfitted with the ‘Parallel Diamond’ business class seat.

Question: Where was this agreement announced?
Answer: The agreement was signed and announced at the Dubai Air Show.

Sources

• RTX