Etihad’s Johannesburg Route Marks 20 Years, Strengthening Africa–UAE Connectivity

Etihad Airways is celebrating a major milestone as its Abu Dhabi–Johannesburg route marks 20 years of continuous service, underscoring the airline’s commitment to connecting Africa with the Middle East and beyond. Since the route’s launch in 2005, Etihad has transported almost two million passengers between the UAE and South Africa, playing a pivotal role in deepening cultural, business, and tourism ties between the two nations.

The significance of this route has only grown over time. In 2025 alone, more than 100,000 guests travelled on Etihad’s Johannesburg flights, reflecting robust and sustained demand for direct air links between these two economic powerhouses.

Johannesburg remains one of Etihad’s longest-standing gateways in Africa, serving as a vital entry point not just for South African travellers heading to the UAE, but also for those connecting onward to the Middle East, Europe, North America, the Indian Subcontinent, and Asia Pacific via the state-of-the-art Zayed International Airport.

For the African travel trade, Etihad’s Johannesburg service is more than just a direct flight—it’s a strategic bridge to a global network. Passengers departing from Johannesburg benefit from seamless onward connectivity to key destinations such as Jeddah, Istanbul, Mumbai, Bangkok, and Phuket, making the route a crucial gateway for both leisure and business travellers. The airline’s expanding partnerships across Southern Africa further enhance regional connectivity, enabling smoother travel experiences and opening up new opportunities for collaboration and growth.

This 20-year milestone comes at a time when Africa is playing an increasingly important role in Etihad’s global network strategy. The continent’s resilient travel demand, driven by a rapidly growing population of international travellers and deepening economic ties with the UAE, is fueling new growth. Etihad has responded by expanding its African footprint, launching new services in the past year to key gateways such as Tunis, Addis Ababa, and Nairobi. Established routes to Casablanca and Cairo continue to perform strongly, benefiting from the airline’s extensive global reach.

Etihad’s strategic partnership with Ethiopian Airlines is another key development, offering guests improved access to a broad range of African destinations beyond Etihad’s own network. This collaboration is particularly valuable for African travel professionals, as it enables more flexible and comprehensive itinerary planning for clients seeking to explore multiple countries or regions within the continent.

As Etihad celebrates two decades of connecting Johannesburg with Abu Dhabi, the route stands as a testament to the enduring strength of Africa–UAE relations and the growing importance of air connectivity in supporting tourism, trade, and cultural exchange. For Africa’s travel sector, the continued success of this route—and Etihad’s broader African expansion—signals new opportunities for partnership, product development, and market growth in the years ahead.