SINGAPORE, 21 March 2025: Ethiopian Airlines and Etihad confirmed this week the launch of a joint venture and new flights between Addis Ababa and Abu Dhabi.
The agreement signed in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on 19 March will unlock the networks of both airlines, giving passengers seamless connections from Africa to the Middle East and Asia.
Etihad Airways will start nonstop flights from Abu Dhabi to Addis Ababa on 1 October, and Ethiopian Airlines will begin flights to Abu Dhabi on 15 July.
Addis Ababa is Etihad’s 15th new destination for 2025, whereas Abu Dhabi becomes Ethiopian Airlines’ 145th global destination.
The strategic partnership includes a codeshare arrangement to improve passenger travel options across both networks.
Ethiopian Airlines will operate the new route to Abu Dhabi using its Boeing 777 and Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. Etihad Airways will operate its daily flights to Addis Ababa with A320 family aircraft.
Ethiopian Airlines will commence services from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) on 15 July.
Flight schedule
ET 614 will depart from Addis Ababa (ADD) at 0950 and arrive in Abu Dhabi (AUH) at 0310.
ET 615 will depart from Abu Dhabi (AUH) at 0425 and arrive in Addis Ababa (ADD) at 0745.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew commented: “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, after Dubai and Sharjah (Cargo).”
More travel options
Travel options improve for passengers departing from major African cities served by Ethiopian flights (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Kampala, Uganda; Kinshasa, DR Congo; and Lusaka, Zambia).
They will be able to connect seamlessly with Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to key cities in Asia.
(Etihad destinations in India, Japan and Southeast Asia — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Osaka, Japan; Phuket, Thailand; and upcoming destinations, Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Hanoi, Vietnam.)
