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Etihad Airways has announced the launch of a new route connecting Abu Dhabi and Addis Ababa. The announcement was made on X, marking a significant expansion in the airline's network.
Etihad’s entry into Addis Ababa follows its October 2025 rollout of daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Addis Ababa. This addition serves as a key African hub, complementing coordination with Ethiopian Airlines. The move is expected to enhance connectivity between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Horn of Africa through Abu Dhabi’s hub, leveraging Addis Ababa’s status as a diplomatic and transit center. The timing aligns with Etihad’s 2025 route expansion strategy, positioning the carrier to capture both point-to-point and connecting traffic between the Gulf region and East Africa, as well as facilitating long-haul travel across Asia and Europe via its operations in Abu Dhabi.
According to Etihad, Addis Ababa became the tenth destination added to its network in 2025. The airline said that "new daily flights" from Abu Dhabi are now operational, and it also highlighted plans for "20 more routes" scheduled to launch later in 2025 and into 2026. These developments reflect a measured but substantial capacity increase as the carrier scales post-pandemic growth to meet rising regional demand.
