In Cloud Nine: Ethiopian Airlines 777 Business Dubai to Addis Ababa

2025 has been the year of new airline firsts for me — Air India, Air Mauritius, and now, finally, Ethiopian Airlines. After many different plans that involved flying Ethiopian fell through, last month I finally flew Ethiopian Airlines 777 Business Class, which the airline markets as Cloud Nine.

This is not just Africa’s largest airline, it is the fourth largest in the world by destinations! Who knew? Going by fleet size, they are no slouch either !

Originally, I’d planned to fly them as part of a trip to Ethiopia — that’s now pencilled in for 2026 — but when this flight popped up as a great deal from Dubai, I couldn’t resist.

It wasn’t just a journey home. It was a story of warmth, quirks, and a few surprises — including celebrating New Year… in 2018…

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Flight Details

• Route: Dubai  → Addis Ababa (ADD)
• Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
• Flight No: ET603
• Cabin: Business Class, Seat 4L
• Duration: ~4 hour
• Travel Date: October 2025

Checking In at Dubai Terminal 1

My Ethiopian Airlines Business Class experience began at Dubai International Airport Terminal 1, around 2 p.m.

It’s a quieter time of day — most European departures are either early morning or late night — but that calm can’t hide the fact that Terminal 1 is starting to feel its age.

The Ethiopian check-in desks were buzzing. Even the dedicated Business and Star Alliance Gold lines were packed. Most passengers seemed to be workers heading home, each with enough luggage to fill a small cargo bay.

Despite the chaos, the check-in staff were efficient and friendly — the kind of team that keeps a smile even when they’re juggling ten boarding passes at once.

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The Lounge – Marhaba It Is

One of Terminal 1’s quirks is that the check-in and main concourse are in two separate buildings. To reach the lounges and gates, you’ll need to hop on a short transit train.

Ethiopian Airlines doesn’t have its own lounge here, so Business Class passengers use the Marhaba Lounge, which is also part of Priority Pass.

The lounge was busy at times but there are decent spots to relax if you can grab them..

This main eating area was heaving…

Overall it’s fine — nothing to write home about. The food selection was solid (Dubai lounges rarely disappoint in that department), the seating was comfortable, and staff were attentive.

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Ethiopian Airlines 777 Business Class to Addis Ababa

Boarding

Boarding started about 25 minutes before departure.

The gate area was packed, but the ground crew handled the flow professionally.

As I walked onboard through door 1L, there was an unusual silence — no cabin crew to greet me just yet.

For a brief moment, I stood alone in the forward galley, half-wondering if I’d taken a wrong turn. Seconds later, the team appeared all smiles, ready to welcome passengers onboard Cloud Nine.

It was an amusing start, and one that set the tone: a little unconventional, but full of warmth once it got going.

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Cabin & Seat – Cloud Nine, Retro Edition

Walking into what appears as a high density Business config feels rather jarring..

The Ethiopian Airlines Business Class cabin on this Boeing 777 is configured 2-3-2, using Zodiac Aura Lite seats — a layout that feels a bit vintage in today’s “all aisle access” and doored Suites world, but still delivers solid comfort.

I had selected the last row, though I had not realised there would be a window missing !

The cabin felt bright, well-maintained, and authentically Ethiopian, with warm red and gold tones inspired by the country’s flag.

Each seat came with:

• A full-size pillow and blanket

• A bottle of water

• Plenty of legroom — seriously, best feature of this product !

Privacy is limited, yes, but for shorter long-haul routes like Dubai–Addis, it works fine. Ethiopian has confirmed new 777X aircraft are on order with upgraded Business Class suites, but deliveries are still years away.

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Pre-Departure – Friendly Faces, Steaming Towels

Once everyone settled in, the cabin crew got into their rhythm.

They were warm, polished, and genuinely friendly, dressed in sharp uniforms that proudly showcase Ethiopian culture.

We were offered hot towels (actual steaming ones — a rare treat these days)

This followed by a choice of Champagne or orange juice, amenity kits, and menus..

Ethiopian serves Victoire Prestige which is a decent Champagne for Business Class.

Initially, the cabin looked half empty. I was quietly thrilled at the thought of an empty seat beside me — until about a dozen passengers were upgraded from Economy.

I’m unsure if this was due to overbooking in Economy – which looked very possible or this was just a standard policy for Ethiopian to upgrade onboard.

Still, the process was handled smoothly, and we pushed back just 25 minutes late.

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Take-off – When 2025 Becomes 2018

As we rolled down Dubai’s runway, I noticed something odd: the menus and napkins all wished us a Happy New Year … 2018.

Was this recycled stock? Had the airline forgotten to reprint? Or were we just handed out menu’s from 2018?

Not quite. A quick post-flight Google confirmed the truth: Ethiopia follows its own calendar, seven years behind the Gregorian one. At the time of flight, Ethiopia had just entered it’s 2018.

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Meal Service – “Light Meal”, Apparently

Our 5 p.m. departure left Ethiopian in a bit of a catering identity crisis — too late for lunch, too early for dinner. The menu called it a “light meal,” but the portion sizes begged to differ.

Being as Dubai is a important route for the airline, the food and beverage offering in particular was extensive:

Starter: Cajun beef fillet with lime-cilantro dressing — decent presentation, slightly dry, lacked a bit of flavour.

I’m unsure why they did not have the dressing in it’s own pot so you can have it as you need it..

In hindsight, I could have asked for more. Still this will get a 5/10.

Main: Lebanese Maghmour — a spinach and chickpea dish that looked unassuming but packed great flavour.

Ethiopian Business Class Lunch

Comforting, hearty, and not overly heavy. This was solid. 8/10.

Dessert: A choice between a chocolate truffle cake and a cheese plate. I went with the cheese (a rare show of discipline) — fine, but nothing to swoon over.

And yes, they offered freshly brewed Ethiopian coffee, world-renowned and aromatic. I resisted, though — I didn’t need to spend the night wide awake admiring hotel ceilings.

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Ethiopian Wi-Fi & Entertainment 

Before dinner, the crew distributed Wi-Fi vouchers — each one handwritten.

A charmingly personal touch, though I did manage to misread a letter and needed assistance getting connected.

Once online, speeds were good enough for messaging and browsing — no streaming, but perfectly serviceable.

The in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, however, felt its age. The screens were dim, the interface sluggish, and the movie catalogue limited. That said, if you’re on an occasional Ethiopian flight, it does the job.

So I reclined into the “Z” position, gazed out at the sunset over the desert, and let the hum of the engines take over.

Ethiopian Business Amenity Kit Contents

The amenity kit comes in a leather pouch that opens to reveal Ethiopian branded eye-shades, flight socks, ear plugs, dental kit, comb, lib balm and a pen !

Considering this is a 4 hour day flight, this was an impressive amenity !

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Business Class Restrooms

Ethiopian’s 777 Business Class has two lavatories at the front, shared with the pilots. Both were clean and well-stocked throughout the flight, despite showing their age in the fixtures.

But what stood out most on this flight wasn’t the seat or screen — it was the crew. They were consistently attentive, polite, and personable, checking on passengers without hovering. There’s a warmth to Ethiopian service that feels genuine rather than rehearsed.

It’s that old-school hospitality that makes you forget about the hardware.

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Arrival into Addis Ababa

After just under four hours in the air, we began our descent into Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The captain kept passengers updated throughout, and the crew remained professional and upbeat right through to landing.

Touchdown was smooth, and as we taxied past a forest of green and yellow tails, I couldn’t help but smile — this was the heart of Africa’s aviation powerhouse.

But the best surprise was yet to come, we were in a remote gate and got to use the stairs to disembark the aircraft…

Getting off a massive 777-300ER via the stairs always give you a real perspective of just how huge this aircraft actually is ! I have some great video of the engines close up which I will upload on the YouTube channel soon !

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Overall Thoughts

Flying Ethiopian Airlines Business Class on the 777 was a refreshing reminder that great service doesn’t always need the newest/fanciest seat.

The 2-3-2 layout isn’t great in 2025, and the IFE could use a serious refresh, but the crew — warm, professional, and authentically kind, make all the difference. Add in hearty catering, strong coffee, and an overall sense of cultural pride, and you’ve got a surprisingly enjoyable flight.

Would I fly them again? Absolutely. For now, though, my verdict on the 777:
A charming, slightly old-school experience with big smiles, big legroom, and even bigger heart.

And if nothing else, where else can you toast to 2018 in 2025?

Stay tuned — next up, I’m flying Ethiopian’s A350 Business Class to London, to see just how far Cloud Nine can really go.