CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew.
Ethiopian Airlines Group has extended the tenure of Group CEO Mesfin Tasew to Aug. 7, 2027, prolonging his time at the helm of Africa’s largest carrier for another year.
Tasew, who became group CEO in March 2022, had been expected to step down on Aug. 6, 2026. The airline confirmed the extension to Aviation Week, following months of uncertainty over his retirement. Tasew had previously stated that the final decision rested with the government.
Under Ethiopian labor law, civil servant government employees retire at 60. Tasew was due to retire in August 2023 upon turning 60, but the board has since extended his tenure three times: first by two years, then by one year in August 2025, and now by another year.
Tasew succeeded Tewolde Gebremariam—recently named CEO and managing director of Air India—as group CEO in March 2022, after more than a decade as Ethiopian’s chief operating officer (COO). He joined the airline in 1984 and held various roles before being named COO in 2010, a position he held through 2021.
The extension comes shortly after Ethiopian Airlines reported record financial results for fiscal 2025/26. Annual revenue reached $9.1 billion, up 20% year over year, despite geopolitical challenges that pushed up operating costs. Passenger numbers grew 10% to 20.7 million, while cargo volumes rose 16% to 897,000 metric tons.
The airline is targeting $25 billion in annual revenue and 67 million passengers under its Vision 2035 strategy. Today the airline operates 147 aircraft, with 117 aircraft on order.
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