Etihad Airways expands flights to Nairobi and beyond in Africa growth plan

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Etihad Airways expands flights to Nairobi and beyond in Africa growth plan

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Arik De Etihad Airways Chief Revenue Officer | Etihad Airways

By Sky Industry News

Apr 24, 2025

Etihad Airways has announced an increase in its flight services from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Starting December 15, 2025, the airline will offer twice-daily flights, a total of 14 weekly services, in response to growing demand.

The decision follows the relaunch of Etihad's Nairobi route earlier in December 2025, which was previously operated with the 787 Dreamliner before ceasing in 2021. Initially planned for May 2024, the service was postponed and is currently operational four times a week with the Airbus A320, with plans to increase to daily later this year.

From December, the new schedule includes a first daily flight (EY767) departing Abu Dhabi at 08:45 and arriving Nairobi at 12:55, with a return flight (EY768) departing Nairobi at 13:50 and reaching Abu Dhabi at 19:50. The second flight (EY769) will leave Abu Dhabi at 02:05, landing in Nairobi at 06:15, with the return departing at 07:15 and finishing in Abu Dhabi at 13:15.

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Etihad Airways Chief Revenue Officer Arik De said, “We’re encouraged by the positive early results and are pleased to announce the expansion of our Nairobi service to 14 weekly flights, as well as the increase of our Seychelles service to six weekly flights in partnership with Air Seychelles. We’re also introducing daily 787 services to Casablanca and Johannesburg.”

The airline is expanding its presence in Africa. In 2024, Etihad plans to establish flights to Tunis and Algiers, and a joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines will launch routes to Addis Ababa and El Alamein, Egypt. According to Cirium, Etihad currently flies to five African destinations, planning to expand that number significantly by the end of 2025.

The partnership with Ethiopian Airlines will include a codeshare arrangement, enhancing connectivity between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Ethiopian Airlines will start services to Abu Dhabi in July, with Etihad beginning flights to Addis Ababa in October. Furthermore, the partnership aims to enable smoother travel for passengers across both airline networks.

Etihad has also engaged in a codeshare arrangement with Air Seychelles, allowing passengers to travel on a single ticket to Mahé and connect to Praslin and Mauritius. In 2025, Etihad anticipates a year of substantial growth in Africa, aligning with the continuing development of aerial connections across the continent.