Airline

Ethiopian Airlines

Africa's largest network, a fully flat Cloud Nine Business on the newest A350 — nonstop from London, and onward to seventy African cities.

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from £X,XXX return · less than booking the airline direct

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Hub

Addis Ababa (ADD)

Alliance

Star Alliance

Fleet

≈ 130 aircraft

Founded

1945

Cabins held

Cloud Nine Business · Economy

About the carrier

Ethiopian Airlines is Africa's largest airline and the gateway to the continent: from its Addis Ababa hub — Star Alliance's de facto base in Africa — it reaches more than seventy African destinations that few other carriers serve at all. It flies nonstop from London Heathrow daily, with Gatwick and Manchester services too, and has just introduced its newest aircraft, the A350-1000, on the Heathrow route. Its Business Class, Cloud Nine, is the top cabin — there is no First — and on the newest A350s it is a fully flat, 1-2-1 staggered seat with direct aisle access for everyone, the equal of far pricier European carriers. The seat varies by aircraft, so which one you fly matters, and that is what we confirm before you book.

Signature services

What makes them different.

Coffee ceremony

Traditional Ethiopian coffee, brewed in cabin

Africa hub

60+ African destinations from Addis

Cloud Nine 1-2-1

Lie-flat Business across the widebody fleet

Cloud Nine ADD

Buffet dining, showers, prayer rooms

Where they shine

What we book them for.

Network reach into Africa

Sixty-plus African destinations from a single Addis Ababa hub. The only carrier flying London-to-Bujumbura or London-to-Bangui in one stop.

The newest A350 Business

On the newest A350s — including the A350-1000 now flying Heathrow — Cloud Nine is a fully flat, 1-2-1 staggered suite with direct aisle access for everyone. It is the seat to seek out, and we route you onto it.

Which aircraft matters

Cloud Nine’s seat varies by aircraft — the newest A350s are fully flat with all-aisle access, while older 787s and 777s carry an older seat. We confirm the aircraft so you know exactly what you’re flying.

Star Alliance through-fares

Same Star Alliance benefits as Lufthansa/United/SWISS. Lounge access at most major hubs. Particularly useful for clients with Star Gold status.

For Africa, nothing matches Ethiopian's reach — Addis Ababa connects to more of the continent than any other hub, and the newest A350 Cloud Nine is a genuinely competitive flat-bed Business. Against the Gulf carriers routing you the long way round via Dubai or Doha, Ethiopian is the direct, shorter way in; against Virgin Atlantic and BA, it goes to the places they simply don't. The one thing to watch is the aircraft — the older jets have an older seat — so the value is in routing you onto a newest-A350 flight. Tell us your route and we'll do exactly that.

The take

Our honest read on Ethiopian Airlines

Where Ethiopian over-delivers, and the one detail worth a call before you book.

Why we rate them

The newest A350 Business is genuinely excellent Fully flat, 1-2-1, all-aisle-access — and the A350-1000 now flies Heathrow. On the right aircraft, Cloud Nine competes with far pricier carriers.
The gateway to Africa, bar none Addis Ababa is Star Alliance’s African hub, connecting 70+ destinations across the continent in a single stop. For Africa, no network runs deeper.
Distinctive, warm service The in-cabin coffee ceremony and Ethiopian’s hospitality give the airline a character bigger carriers can’t replicate.
A modern fleet at its best on the A350 Where the newest aircraft fly, the experience is contemporary and comfortable.

Good to know

The seat varies by aircraft — this is the key thing The newest A350s have the fully flat 1-2-1; older 787s and 777s fly a 2-2-2 (some only angle-flat). The aircraft operating your date decides your seat, and we confirm it before you book.
Cloud Nine is the top cabin — no First Class A strong Business product, but if First is the brief, we’ll show you the carriers who fly one on your route.
The A350-1000 on Heathrow is recent — confirm your dates It’s flying now, but deployment can change; we’ll verify it’s on your specific dates.
UK departures are growing Heathrow daily, Gatwick several times a week, Manchester from July 2026 (some via Geneva) — we’ll find the cleanest routing for you.

The network

Where they fly.

The UK services we book most, and the onward sectors that matter beyond Addis Ababa.

From London

London HeathrowDaily nonstop to Addis Ababa — now the A350-1000
London GatwickFour times a week to Addis Ababa
ManchesterDaily to Addis Ababa (some via Geneva)
Onward at Addis AbabaTo 70+ destinations across Africa

Strongest sectors

London → Addis AbabaNonstop — newest A350 Cloud Nine
Addis → Nairobi / Kilimanjaro / ZanzibarEast Africa
Addis → Lagos / Accra / Johannesburg / Cape TownWest & Southern Africa
Addis → 70+ African citiesThe widest African network from one hub

The seat products

The cabins, in detail.

Each cabin product Ethiopian Airlines flies, with the seat type, configuration, bed length and the aircraft you'll find it on.

Business · cabin imageryCloud Nine Business

Business

Cloud Nine Business

1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration

1-2-1 reverse herringbone · widebody fleet

On the newest A350s, Cloud Nine is a 1-2-1 staggered, lie-flat seat (78-inch bed, 21 inches wide) with direct aisle access for everyone. On older 787s and 777s it is an earlier 2-2-2 layout, so the aircraft matters — we route you onto a newest-A350 flight where it operates. Plated dining on china, with the Ethiopian coffee ceremony performed in the cabin.

SeatCollins Diamond, Ethiopian-spec
Pitch / bed78" fully flat
Configuration1-2-1 reverse herringbone
Aircraft787-9, 787-8, A350-900, 777-300ER, 777-200LR
NotableEthiopian coffee ceremony in cabin; Cloud Nine Lounge at ADD

Economy · cabin imageryEconomy

Economy

3-3-3 (787 / A350) · 3-4-3 (777) configuration

3-3-3 / 3-4-3 · widebody fleet

Standard widebody Economy — 31-32 inch pitch, slimline seats, plated dining on china (still — uncommon at this segment), full IFE. The Boeing 787 widebody has the best Economy in the long-haul fleet for legroom and seat width. Worth noting for clients flying with family in mixed cabins.

SeatRecaro slimline
Pitch / bed31-32" pitch
Configuration3-3-3 (787 / A350) · 3-4-3 (777)
AircraftEntire long-haul fleet
NotablePlated dining included; coffee ceremony

A restaurant in the skyThe Coffee Ceremony

On board · in flight

The Coffee Ceremony

The traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony — beans roasted in cabin, ground by hand, brewed in a jebena and poured into small handle-less cups — is performed in Cloud Nine throughout the flight. Quietly one of the most distinctive on-board services in commercial aviation.

Coffee ceremony
Traditional Ethiopian — beans roasted, ground, brewed in cabin from a jebena
In-flight Business
Plated three-course service on china — Ethiopian and international menus
Even Economy plated
Economy still served plated on china — uncommon at the price point
Wines
South African and French wine selections; full bar service in Cloud Nine

The fleet

Aircraft & the premium seats on board.

What Ethiopian Airlines operates today, and which cabin you'll be seated in on each. Cabin counts are typical configuration — sub-fleets vary.

Aircraft	First	Business	Premium Economy	Notes
Boeing 787-9	—	30 Cloud Nine	—	LHR; primary long-haul
Boeing 787-8	—	24 Cloud Nine	—	Mid-range; secondary routes
Airbus A350-900	—	30 Cloud Nine	—	JNB, CPT, NRT
Boeing 777-300ER	—	34 Cloud Nine	—	High-density routes; LOS, JNB
Boeing 777-200LR	—	34 Cloud Nine	—	Ultra-long-haul; selected service

From the UK

UK departures: what you'll actually fly.

Ethiopian's Cloud Nine seat depends on the aircraft — the newest A350s have a fully flat, all-aisle-access suite, while older jets have an older seat. This is the picture today, and we confirm your aircraft before you book.

Aircraft	Where you'll find it	Business	First
A350-1000 (newest)	Now on London Heathrow	Cloud Nine — 1-2-1 staggered, fully flat, direct aisle access	No First — Cloud Nine is the top cabin
A350-900 (Safran Optima)	Heathrow, Manchester & long-haul	Cloud Nine — 1-2-1 staggered, fully flat (newer A350s)	No First
Boeing 787-9	Long-haul, incl. some UK & Africa	Cloud Nine — 1-2-1 or 2-2-2 depending on the aircraft	No First
Boeing 787-8 / 777	Africa & some long-haul	Cloud Nine — 2-2-2 (some angle-flat on older jets)	No First

Verified against Ethiopian Airlines schedules · June 2026. Equipment changes — we re-check your exact flight at booking.

Not sure which aircraft is on your dates? That's exactly what we're for— tell us whether the seat, the timing or the fare matters most, and we'll match the flight to it.

Before the gate

The ground experience.

Lounges, transfers and small differences that make a long itinerary easier.

Addis Ababa (ADD)

Cloud Nine Lounge

Recently expanded — buffet dining (Ethiopian and international menus), full bar, shower suites, prayer room, dedicated quiet area. Open to Cloud Nine Business and Star Alliance Gold.

Heathrow T2

Star Alliance Lounge

Used by Ethiopian at LHR — large shared Star Alliance facility. Comfortable, functional, no à la carte.

On-board

Coffee Ceremony

Few airlines offer anything like it: green beans roasted, hand-ground and brewed at altitude, then poured from a jebena into small cups. It is the warmest signature of Ethiopian hospitality, and it sets Cloud Nine apart.

Before you ask

Questions we're asked about Ethiopian Airlines.

Does Ethiopian Airlines have First Class?

No — Cloud Nine, its Business Class, is the top cabin, so there's nothing above it. On the newest A350s, Cloud Nine is a fully flat seat in a 1-2-1 staggered layout with direct aisle access for every passenger, the equal of far more expensive carriers.

Which Ethiopian aircraft has the best Cloud Nine seat?

The newest A350s — the A350-1000 now on the Heathrow route and the later A350-900s — with a fully flat, 1-2-1 staggered seat and direct aisle access. Older 787s and 777s have an older 2-2-2 seat. Because aircraft can be swapped, we confirm the seat map and route you onto a newest-A350 flight.

Why fly Ethiopian to Africa rather than a Gulf carrier?

Reach and directness. Addis Ababa is the best-connected hub on the continent, reaching more than seventy African destinations — many the Gulf carriers and European airlines don't serve — and London to Addis is a shorter, more direct way in than routing via Dubai or Doha. For anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, it is usually the easiest way there.

Can I fly Ethiopian nonstop from the UK?

Yes — nonstop daily from London Heathrow to Addis Ababa, with four-times-weekly Gatwick and daily Manchester services, then a single connection at Addis to the rest of Africa. We'll build the itinerary so the long-haul leg is on a newest-A350.

How much is Ethiopian Cloud Nine from the UK?

Cloud Nine is indicatively from £X,XXX return on the contracted trade fares we hold, depending on the African destination and season. Share your route and dates and the exact figure follows the same hour.

Is Ethiopian in an alliance?

Yes — Ethiopian is a Star Alliance member, alongside Lufthansa, SWISS, United and Singapore Airlines, with its own ShebaMiles programme and the Cloud Nine Lounge at Addis Ababa, plus Star Alliance lounges worldwide.

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