Africa’s largest carrier, Ethiopian Airlines will from July 1, 2025, increase flights to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to two flights a day, marking the beginning of second daily flights to Nigeria’s commercial city. The development, which has brought excitement to air travellers, will give Nigerian passengers increased options out of Lagos with the extra daily flight, which will offer immediate connection to many African and Asian destinations.
The airline said with the extra flights, there would be instant connection that reduces the total hours of flight time for passengers.
“There will be four evening flights at 10 pm and another 3 at 5:40 am. The daily midday flight will not change. Only the additional flights will have different times. Evening departure 10PM from Lagos ET 902 and arrival in Addis at 5:20 am will connect all African destinations, DXB, GRU, TLV and some other destinations.
“Morning departure at 5:40 am from Lagos ET904 and arrival in Addis at 1pm will connect perfectly to afternoon departure African countries, Dubai-UAE;
Sao Paulo-Brazil; Tel Aviv-Israel; Mumbai-India; Delhi-India; Hyderabad-India;
Chennai-India; Istanbul-Turkey; Rome-Italy; Athens-Greece; Zanzibar-Tanzania;
Dar er Salaam-Tanzania and others,” the airline said.
According to the Area Manager of Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria, Mrs. Firiehiwot
Mekonnen. “We are happy to offer more flights and options out of Lagos.
These extra flights help us improve service delivery and reduce costs for
travellers. Most of our passengers will now arrive their destinations faster.”
Ethiopian has been flying to Nigeria since 1960 and has served the market with the newest aircraft in the world, including the A350- 1000 and the B787
Dreamliner. It connects Lagos to over 140 global destinations.
The airline which in many ways and at different occasions expressed its commitment to Nigeria has indicated that it is poised to further serve the
Nigerian market by supporting the tourism, entertainment and cultural events in Nigeria in a bid to keep the growing momentum as Nigeria is fast emerging as Africa’s leading hub for such events.
Ethiopian said this is important for the airline, as the largest operator in Africa, which connects over 60 African cities to its expansive global network, playing a key role in facilitating trade and tourism across the continent.
According to Mekonnen, the airline will intensify its efforts to promote tourism to and from Nigeria, utilising the opportunity offered by the growing niche market, Detty December, where Nigerians in Diaspora, their friends and others visit Nigeria during December to enjoy the inimitable entertainment
and festivals, galvanizing opportunities offered by low exchange rate and resort facilities along the Atlantic Ocean and the creeks that gave Lagos its unique signature.
Mekonnen is also inviting Nigerians to visit Ethiopia, which is really the cradle of civilisation, where nature, history, culture and modernity diffuse to create tourism destinations across the country, from Addis Ababa the historical city to
Lalibela, the home of the famous rock-hewn churches to Aksum home of the
Obelists to Gondar, Semien Mountains, waterfalls and to the first church and
mosque in Africa.
“Ethiopian Airlines is a connector of African trade and tourism. We are committed to driving more tourism into Nigeria from around the world and also encouraging Nigerians to explore Ethiopia and other parts of Africa,” she said.
Ethiopian Airlines said it has consistently supported major Nigerian cultural events, including Calabar Carnival, offering discounted fares and seamless travel options.
She emphasised Nigeria’s untapped tourism potential, highlighting the country’s rich culture, natural beauty, and diverse attractions that deserve global attention.
Mekonnen who served as the head of ET Holidays, overseeing all travel and tour packages under Ethiopian Airlines, will now marry travel and tourism and will likely develop strong tourism market between Nigeria, Ethiopia and other African countries.
Nigeria has remained an attractive market because Nigerians like to travel and with growing interest in vising Africa, realising the breathtaking beauties in the region, many Nigerians who hitherto travelled to Europe, the United States and Middle East now travel around Nigeria or travel to other African countries for holidays and Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya as the West is becoming increasingly stringent with visa policy and the Middle East destinations do not have much of nature to offer.
Besides its efforts to deepen presence in Nigeria, Ethiopian Airlines is growing bigger and bigger as an African carrier and has become one of the major global airlines to compete with not only in Africa but in the world.
The airline is moving indefatigably ahead with its ambitious plans to reshape
African aviation, with a new airport project near Addis Ababa set to become the continent’s largest when completed.
Speaking to the BBC recently, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew, confirmed that construction of the $5 billion mega facility will begin by the end of November 2025, with Phase One expected to be completed by 2029.
The new airport will be built in two phases and is projected to have an eventual annual capacity of 110 million passengers, dwarfing the current capacity of Bole International Airport, which is now stretched at 25 million. The first phase will handle up to 60 million passengers annually.
“The existing airport has served us well, but it can no longer support our rapid growth. This new facility will position Ethiopia as the undisputed aviation hub for Africa,” Tasew told BBC.
The development will displace approximately 2,500 farming households across 3,500 hectares of land. According to Tasew, the airline is constructing residential homes and income-generating facilities, including agro-processing and trade centres, to resettle and support the affected communities.
“Relocation is expected to be completed by November,” he added.
BBC also reported that Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s most profitable carriers, is closing in on its long-term financial ambitions. Back in 2010, the airline set a bold target of reaching $10 billion in annual revenue by 2025.
While it fell short of that mark last year, reporting $7 billion in 2023/24, Tasew said the airline expects to hit $8 billion by June 2025.
“In terms of fleet size, number of destinations, and overall network, we have already achieved the targets set in our Vision 2025 plan,” the CEO said.
Despite expanding its footprint across Africa — including partnerships with national carriers in Malawi, Togo, and Zambia — the Ethiopian Airlines CEO spoke on the ticket prices. Tasew attributed these costs to the fluctuating fuel
prices, taxes, and ground handling fees across African countries.
Ethiopian Airlines made headlines recently with its order of up to 67 Boeing
aircraft, as it ordered 11 B787 Dreamliner and 20 737 MAX airplanes with an opportunity for 15 and 21 additional jets, respectively. According to Boeing, the agreement, signed by Ethiopia’s national carrier at the Dubai Airshow, represents the largest-ever purchase of Boeing airplanes in African history.
“We are pleased to announce that Ethiopian Airlines has reached a deal with
Boeing to place a firm order for 31 ultra-modern airplanes, with opportunity for 36 additional jets,” said Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew.
“This order will enable us to modernize and increase our fleet in support of Ethiopian Airlines’ growth plan and our Vision 2035 Strategy. Through this deal, we have solidified our decades-old exemplary business partnership with Boeing. The 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX demonstrate Ethiopian Airlines’ environmentally conscious decisions and its commitment to serve passengers with the latest technologically advanced airplanes.”
Tasew said the relationship between Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines remains strong and multifaceted.
“We don’t just buy Boeing planes. We also manufacture selected aircraft parts here in Ethiopia that are supplied to Boeing for the production of new aircraft,” he said, underscoring a strategic partnership that extends beyond purchasing.
Ethiopian Airlines has not only entrenched itself in Nigeria, it is also a strong representative of Africa globally and it is an airline that has shown to the world that Africa can offer something strong to the world in aviation.
