The national carriers of the UAE, Etihad Airways, and Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines, have decided to join forces and launch a joint venture (JV) that will strengthen connectivity between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The signed agreement regarding the JV also mentions a codeshare partnership and the launch of new flights between Abu Dhabi and Addis Ababa.
Etihad Airways will start the new flight on the above-mentioned route on October 1, 2025. A daily affair, the outbound flight, EY727, will depart from Abu Dhabi and arrive in Addis Ababa at 09:00 and 12:35, respectively. The return journey will commence at 13:55 and conclude at 19:15. The airline will ferry passengers aboard an Airbus A320 Family aircraft.
Ethiopian Airlines, on the other hand, won’t wait that long to launch the new service. It goes live on July 15, 2025. Flight ET 614 will leave from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport at 21:50 and land at Zayed International Airport at 03:10 the next day. Those travelling in the opposite direction with the carrier will board flight ET 615, which departs and arrives at 04:25 and 07:45, respectively. All times mentioned are local. The airline’s latest fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A350-1000s will ferry passengers on the new flight.
Regarding the codeshare, both airlines will seek relevant regulatory approvals before expanding routes between the UAE and Ethiopia, as well as strengthening connectivity across their respective networks.
The JV will expand travel options and smoothen the journeys for passengers travelling between major African destinations on Ethiopian’s network. The list includes Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Kampala, Uganda; Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Lusaka, Zambia. Similarly, Etihad will open up access to several destinations in the UAE and Asia, including India, Japan, and Southeast Asia, such as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Osaka, Japan; Phuket, Thailand; and new upcoming routes, including Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Hanoi, Vietnam.
Also Read: Etihad To Strengthen The Moscow Link Later In The Year
