Ethiopian Airlines Group said it has upsized four of its A350-900 on order to the largest variant of the A350 Family, the A350-1000, becoming Africa's first customer for the aircraft.

The Ethiopian flag carrier, in a statement released Thursday, said it had already received 16 aircraft out of the 22 A350-900 aircraft it ordered before.

"With the A350-1000 upsizing, Ethiopian Airlines' backlog consists of four A350-1000s and two A350-900s," the statement quoted Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew as saying. "We are delighted over the upsizing of the A350-900 on order to the largest variant, A350-1000, that helps us stay ahead of the curve in technology."

The airlines said it commands the lion's share of the pan-African passenger and cargo service network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 130 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents.

Tasew said the A350-1000 is the best fit for his company's dense routes, and the upsizing will be instrumental in satisfying the increasing demand of customers in the airline's vast global network across five continents.

The airlines said the A350-1000 will further increase its capacity and will be an addition to its modern wide-body fleet.