ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways said on Friday it will launch six African destinations from Abu Dhabi, adding service to Asmara, Accra, Lagos, Harare, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi in one of its largest announced expansions on the continent in recent years. The new routes will connect the UAE capital with cities in Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the first flight due to begin on Nov. 7, 2026 and the remaining services scheduled to start in March 2027.
Under the published timetable, Etihad Airways will operate four flights a week to Asmara from Nov. 7, 2026 and four flights a week to Accra from March 17, 2027. Kinshasa will start on March 18 with three weekly flights, while Lagos will return the same day with daily service. A three-times-weekly routing linking Abu Dhabi, Harare and Lubumbashi is scheduled to begin on March 24, giving the airline two destinations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The carrier said the new services will provide nonstop links to Abu Dhabi and onward one-stop access across its wider network in India, China, Asia and the Middle East. It also said belly-hold freight capacity will be available on all six routes through Etihad Cargo, adding cargo space alongside passenger service. Zayed International Airport, Etihad’s home hub, will handle the new flows of passengers and freight as the services are introduced.
Etihad builds on earlier Africa growth
The Africa announcement expands a buildout Etihad has been pursuing over the past year. In October 2025, the airline launched daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Addis Ababa under a partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, while Nairobi frequencies were increased to 14 a week from Dec. 15, 2025. The latest move pushes that expansion deeper into sub-Saharan Africa, adding destinations in West, Central, East and Southern Africa from a single Gulf hub.
The route expansion comes as Etihad continues to grow capacity across its broader network. The airline reported net profit of $698 million for 2025, with passenger numbers rising to 22.4 million and its fleet reaching 127 aircraft after new deliveries and the return of larger jets to service. Those results left Etihad with a bigger operating base heading into 2026, when the carrier has continued adding destinations and frequencies across multiple regions.
Lagos returns as Congo gains two links
Among the six additions, Lagos marks a return for Etihad after the airline last served the Nigerian city in 2020, according to published schedule data. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the biggest single beneficiary of the rollout, with Kinshasa receiving standalone service and Lubumbashi joining the Harare rotation. That gives the airline access to two Congolese cities under the same expansion plan, alongside a new Zimbabwe entry point through Harare.
Etihad said the flights are open for booking and that the new services will add passenger and cargo capacity across its Africa network from late 2026 into early 2027. With Asmara due to launch first, followed by Accra, Kinshasa, Lagos, Harare and Lubumbashi in March, the rollout will give the carrier a broader spread of direct African routes from Abu Dhabi and extend its footprint into markets where it has not previously operated or had not served for several years – By Content Syndication Services.