Etihad and Ethiopian Airlines Take Flight with Bold New Joint Venture

Starting in July, airline travelers will have the opportunity to fly between Abu Dhabi and Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, thanks to a new strategic partnership between Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. 

The agreement was finalized at Ethiopian Airlines' headquarters in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, linking Africa's largest airline with the capital of the UAE. Ethiopian Airlines stands as the largest airline in Africa, boasting the highest number of passengers, destinations, fleet size, and revenue. 

In a chat with Gulf Business, Etihad Airways CEO Antonoaldo Neves emphasized the significance of this collaboration."Etihad is dedicated to expanding our global partnerships. We recently formed a key alliance with Eastern Airlines to enhance connectivity to China, providing our customers with more choices. 

Today, we are thrilled to announce a similar partnership with Ethiopian Airlines. This is vital for Etihad as it allows us to offer more travel options to Africa, while Ethiopian travelers can access Etihad's vast network to numerous global destinations," Neves stated. Neves elaborated, "We are starting with an interline agreement that facilitates point-to-point travel between the two airlines across around ten destinations. In a joint venture, both airlines share revenue equally, and there are no limits on how many seats each can sell on the other's flights.

 For instance, you can purchase a ticket from Abu Dhabi to Addis Ababa on either Etihad or Ethiopian Airlines, and you will find the experience and pricing to be similar, he mentioned.

 Expanding access to Africa and Asia In a statement, Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, highlighted that this partnership is a significant step in improving connectivity between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia."As part of our strategy to enhance Ethiopian Airlines' global footprint, the introduction of our new flight to Abu Dhabi is our third destination in the UAE, following Dubai and Sharjah.

 With over 120 weekly passenger and cargo flights to the Middle East and Gulf regions, we are dedicated to delivering outstanding connectivity and service to our customers," Tasew stated. 

The collaboration has led to improved connectivity for cities such as Dar es Salaam  , Kampala  , Kinshasa  , and Lusaka   with major cities in the UAE and Asia. 7 billion  , a substantial increase from the Dhs525 million   profit after tax recorded in 2023.