Etihad, Ethiopian Airlines to launch Abu Dhabi-Addis Ababa flights
As part of the agreement, Ethiopian Airlines will begin flights from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport to Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport from 15 July
Airline passengers will be able to fly between Abu Dhabi and Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, from July this year thanks to a new strategic joint venture agreement signed between Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
The deal, signed at Ethiopian Airlines’ headquarters in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, connects Africa’s largest airline with the UAE capital.
As part of the agreement, Ethiopian Airlines will begin flights from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport to Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport on 15 July, while Etihad Airways will launch daily services to Addis Ababa from 1 October 2025.
Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s largest airline in terms of passengers carried, destinations served, fleet size, and revenue. The airline flies to over 160 destinations with more than 150 planes as part of its fleet.
In an interview with Gulf Business, Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, highlighted the importance of the partnership.
“Etihad is working hard to expand our partnerships globally. Recently, we announced an important partnership with China Eastern to improve connectivity to China, offering more options to our customers. And today, we’re very excited to announce a similar partnership with Ethiopian Airlines. This is crucial for Etihad because it enables us to offer customers more travel options to Africa, while Ethiopian customers gain access to Etihad’s extensive network to various destinations worldwide,” said Neves.
The joint venture deal is still subject to regulatory approval, according to an Etihad statement. However, collaboration begins with an interline agreement that is set to evolve rapidly, as Neves explained.
“We’re starting with an interline agreement, allowing point-to-point travel between the two airlines across about ten destinations. However, we’re fast-tracking this into a joint venture model. That means better coordination on schedules, pricing, and customer experience – making the journey seamless,” he said.
“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. For example, you could buy a ticket from Abu Dhabi to Addis Ababa on either Etihad or Ethiopian Airlines, and the experience and pricing will be consistent,” he added.
Neves also noted that partnering with Ethiopian Airlines effectively gives Etihad two strong hubs.
“Ethiopian Airlines has built something remarkable. They’re about the same size as Etihad and offer great service. By partnering, we align with an airline that shares our vision for how aviation should evolve. Etihad benefits from Ethiopian’s strong African network, and Ethiopian customers can access Etihad’s growing presence across the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond.”
Greater access into Africa, Asia
In a statement, Mesfin Tasew, group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, said the collaboration marks a milestone in enhancing connectivity between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
“As part of our strategy to strengthen Ethiopian Airlines’ global presence, the launch of our new flight to Abu Dhabi marks our third destination in the UAE, following Dubai and Sharjah (Cargo). With over 120 weekly passenger and cargo services to the Middle East and Gulf states, we are committed to providing exceptional connectivity and service to both our customers,” said Tasew.
As a result of the joint venture, cities such as Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Kampala (Uganda), Kinshasa (DR Congo), and Lusaka (Zambia) are now better connected with key cities in the UAE and Asia, including Etihad destinations in Pakistan and Southeast Asia, such as Colombo (Sri Lanka), Islamabad (Pakistan), and upcoming new routes like Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Krabi (Thailand).
Ethiopian Airlines will operate the new route using its modern fleet, including the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350-1000.
Etihad’s growth
The announcement comes as Etihad recorded a strong financial performance for 2024.
The airline reported a profit after tax of Dhs1.7bn ($476m), marking a significant increase from its Dhs525m ($143m) profit after tax in 2023. This was supported by Dhs20.8bn ($5.7bn) in passenger revenue and Dhs4.2bn ($1.1bn) in cargo revenue.
Passenger numbers last year surged 32 per cent year-on-year to 18.5 million.
Total revenue rose 25 per cent to Dhs25.3bn ($6.9bn), driven by network expansion and increased capacity. The carrier added over 1,700 weekly flights, grew frequencies on 25 routes, and launched more than 20 new destinations, including Boston, Jaipur, Bali, and Nairobi. Its fleet also expanded by 12 aircraft, including six A320 NEOs.
