Dhaka : Etihad airways will begin daily nonstop flights from Abu Dhabi to Addis Ababa on October 1, following the announcement of a Joint Venture (JV) agreement with Ethiopian Airlines on Wednesday (March 19).

The Etihad–Ethiopian JV, signed in Addis Ababa, will foster collaboration between the two airlines to expand and enhance routes between the UAE and Ethiopia.

With this new service, Addis Ababa becomes Etihad’s 15th new destination for 2025, while Abu Dhabi will become Ethiopian Airlines’ 145th global destination.

“This partnership is designed to deliver greater value to passengers by strengthening links between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, resulting in a more seamless and comprehensive combined network,” noted the two national airlines.

Etihad Airways said it plans to start nonstop flights from Abu Dhabi to Addis Ababa on October 1, and Ethiopian Airlines is expected to start flights to Abu Dhabi from July 15.

Addis Ababa marks Etihad’s fifteenth new destination for 2025, Abu Dhabi would be Ethiopian Airlines’ 145th global destination, the airlines’ said in a joint statement.

In November last year, Etihad unveiled 10 new destination launches for 2025, including Atlanta, Taipei, Medan, Phnom Penh, Krabi and Tunis.

The airline also said it would launch flights to 4 cities this year. The launch to Ethiopia marks Etihad's 15th destination launch.

According to Ethiopian Airlines Chairman Yilma Merdassa, the carrier is the leading airline in Africa, flying to more than 63 cities in the continent.

"The partnership we plan to develop is beyond a simple partnership like codeshare. It is a joint venture... it is the first of its kind for Ethiopian Airlines," Merdassa said.

-B