Etihad, Ethiopian Airlines activate codeshare in first phase of joint venture

Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines on Monday announced a new codeshare partnership, as part of a broader plan to implement a joint venture that was announced in March 2025.

From 15 July, Ethiopian Airlines will begin flights between Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport. Etihad will follow with daily services to Addis Ababa from 8 October.

The codeshare allows passengers to book a single itinerary with one check-in and baggage transfer, while providing access to more than 75 destinations across both networks.

Etihad customers will gain access to Ethiopian’s African network, including destinations such as Kigali, Harare, Lusaka and Victoria Falls. Ethiopian passengers, in turn, can connect via Abu Dhabi to key Etihad destinations such as Colombo, Krabi, Sydney and Phnom Penh.

Read more: Etihad, Ethiopian Airlines to launch Abu Dhabi-Addis Ababa flights

“This partnership allows us to unlock seamless travel opportunities between Africa and Asia, Australia and the Middle East,” said Arik De, chief revenue and commercial officer at Etihad.

Joint venture in motion

The codeshare marks the first phase of a deeper joint venture between the two carriers.

In an interview with Gulf Business earlier this year, Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves said the partnership will evolve beyond codeshare into full joint operations.

“In a joint venture, revenue is shared equally, and there are no restrictions on how many seats each airline can sell on the other’s flights,” he explained.

“We’re fast-tracking the partnership so customers benefit sooner.”

Read more: Etihad CEO on growth, IPO talk and Ethiopian Airlines tie-up

Neves added that the agreement forms part of Etihad’s wider strategy to expand global ties.

“It enables us to offer customers more travel options to Africa, while Ethiopian customers gain access to Etihad’s extensive network.”

Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s largest carrier by passengers, fleet size and destinations.

Group CEO Mesfin Tasew called the collaboration “a milestone in enhancing connectivity between Africa, the Middle East and Asia.”

He noted that Abu Dhabi will become the airline’s third UAE destination after Dubai and Sharjah.

The agreement follows a strong year for Etihad. In 2024, the airline posted a Dhs1.7bn ($476m) profit after tax on Dhs25.3bn ($6.9bn) in total revenue, with passenger numbers rising 32 per cent to 18.5 million.

Etihad added over 1,700 weekly flights and launched 20 new destinations during the year, including Boston, Jaipur, Bali and Nairobi. Its fleet also grew by 12 aircraft.