Ethiopian Airlines are reportedly nearing a deal to purchase up to 10 Boeing (BA) 777 freighters, including two of the current-generation 777f models, sources suggest

The split here matters: a pair of current-generation 777Fs are near-term deliveries with established economics, while the balance would presumably fall into the newer 777-8 freighter program, whose certification timeline and order book have been a recurring source of investor scrutiny. African flag carriers with large cargo operations have historically been repeat Boeing freighter customers, and Ethiopian has built one of the more aggressive cargo fleet expansion programs in the region, so this reads as continuation of form rather than a new buyer. The distinction worth drawing for the equity is between announced intent and firm order: cargo commitments at this stage routinely pass through letter-of-intent and memorandum stages before appearing in the official backlog, and only the latter feeds the orders-versus-deliveries optics that move the shares. Worth watching is whether the deal firms up at a named event or filing, and how the freighter portion of the backlog develops relative to the production rate. As an unconfirmed sourcing story on a modest number of units, this is incremental rather than thesis-changing for a name whose swings are driven by certification, cash flow and rate decisions.