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

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.