Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew has firmly denied reports claiming the airline is in negotiations to lease aircraft to Russia, calling the allegations “completely false,”
Addis Insight reports.
The statement comes in response to a recent article published by Capital newspaper, which suggested that Ethiopian authorities were in talks with their Russian counterparts regarding a potential aircraft leasing arrangement—specifically, a wet-lease deal that would include aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance.
According to the Capital report, the topic was raised during a bilateral meeting between Ethiopian and Russian officials held last month, where both sides expressed interest in expanding aviation cooperation. However, no formal agreement was reached, and the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) clarified that while discussions did take place, it has no mandate to instruct Ethiopian Airlines to lease aircraft and has not done so.
