Ethiopian Airlines Boosts Nigeria to 53 Weekly Flights and Launches New Port Harcourt Route
Ethiopian Airlines has unveiled a significant expansion of its Nigerian operations, adding new frequencies on its Lagos and Kano services while introducing four weekly flights to Port Harcourt. The move strengthens air connectivity between Nigeria and the airline's expansive global network, and pushes the carrier's total operations in the West African giant to 53 weekly flights, further cementing its position as one of the most influential foreign carriers in Africa's largest aviation market.
Under the revised schedule, Ethiopian Airlines will operate 21 weekly flights into Lagos, giving passengers up to three services daily and offering greater flexibility for business travellers, diaspora communities and tourists alike. Its Kano operation will receive four additional frequencies, taking that route to 11 weekly flights and reinforcing the northern city's role as a key commercial and cultural gateway. Shortly thereafter, the airline will commence four weekly flights to Port Harcourt, adding the Rivers State capital to a Nigerian network that already includes Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Enugu.
Speaking on the expansion, the General Manager of Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria, Firiehiwot Mekonnen, said the additional capacity reflects the airline's continued confidence in Nigeria's aviation market and its broader economic potential. She explained that increasing frequencies and adding a new destination will offer passengers more flexibility, better seat availability, improved connectivity and access to more attractive fares. For travel professionals across sub-Saharan Africa, this translates into stronger competitive pricing on multi-continent itineraries and easier connections for clients heading to Ethiopian's growing network of destinations.
Mekonnen was quick to underline that the expansion is about much more than adding seats to aircraft. She positioned it as a broader stimulus for Nigeria's aviation and tourism value chain, noting that every additional flight generates economic activity for ground handling companies, airport concessionaires, travel agencies, hotels, transport providers, catering firms and other aviation-related service providers. This ripple effect, familiar to travel industry stakeholders across the continent, also translates into meaningful direct and indirect employment opportunities in an economy that continues to prioritise job creation.
The airline intends to leverage its extensive international footprint to funnel more inbound visitors into Nigeria, an ambition that dovetails with growing continental efforts to boost intra-African travel and attract global tourism spend. Mekonnen emphasised that the goal is not only to connect Nigerians to the world, but equally to bring more of the world to Nigeria. For Nigerian tour operators, destination marketers, hoteliers and cultural attractions, this represents a genuine opportunity to develop new inbound products targeting markets in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas that are now more easily reachable through the Addis Ababa hub.
The introduction of Port Harcourt flights holds particular significance for Nigeria's South-South region, an area rich in oil and gas activity, cultural heritage and untapped leisure tourism potential. The new service will provide travellers and businesses in the region with a fresh international gateway, unlocking convenient access to destinations across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. For corporate travel managers serving energy sector clients and multinational firms, this new route promises to simplify complex international itineraries that previously required long domestic connections.
Mekonnen also extended appreciation to the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, airport authorities and other stakeholders whose support has enabled the expansion. She reaffirmed that Ethiopian Airlines will continue to invest in its Nigerian operations as part of a long-term commitment to the market, ensuring that growth translates into meaningful value for Nigerian communities through tourism, trade and job creation.
For the wider African travel trade, this announcement reinforces a broader trend of leading continental carriers deepening their presence in strategic markets, expanding hub-and-spoke connectivity and repositioning African cities as competitive gateways to the world. As Ethiopian Airlines strengthens its Nigerian footprint, travel professionals across the region can expect richer routing options, enhanced product offerings and fresh opportunities to build itineraries that celebrate the depth and diversity of the African travel story.
