Etihad Airways has signed interline and cooperation agreements with three African carriers in July, completing a month of partnership building that positions Abu Dhabi as a connecting hub between Africa, India and Asia.
The first agreement, signed earlier in July with Fastjet in Zimbabwe, extends Etihad’s reach into Southern Africa ahead of its planned Harare flights.
The second, signed in Lagos on July 22 with Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline, opens 20 destinations across Nigeria, West and Central Africa to Etihad passengers.
The third, an MOU signed in Accra on July 24 with Africa World Airlines, the Ghana-based carrier serving the wider West African region, covers codeshare, interline, cargo and loyalty cooperation.
The three agreements build on Etihad’s existing strategic joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines and follow the airline’s April announcement of six new African destinations.
The airline says the partner network is designed so that when those routes launch, onward connections across West and Southern Africa will be available from day one.
“Africa is one of the fastest-growing aviation regions in the world, and this month we have moved quickly to grow with it. Three agreements in July, each shaped to its market: the reach of Fastjet in Southern Africa, the breadth of Air Peace’s network and the depth of a strategic framework with Africa World Airlines. When our new African routes take off, the partner network behind them will already be in place,” Arik De, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial and Revenue Officer said in a statement.
The partnerships come as UAE-Africa commercial ties deepen more broadly. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Nigeria was signed in January 2026, and Etihad notes that cargo demand on Africa-linked trade routes is outpacing supply in several sectors.
Tickets combining the partner networks will go on sale as each agreement takes effect.
