Ethiopian Airlines to begin Port Harcourt flights

Ethiopian Airlines will begin scheduled passenger flights between Addis Ababa and Port Harcourt from December 1, expanding the airline’s Nigerian network to five cities.

The new service will operate four times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, according to the airline.

The flights will depart Addis Ababa at 9:30 a.m. and arrive at Port Harcourt International Airport at 12:25 p.m. The return flight will leave Port Harcourt at 1:10 p.m. and arrive in Addis Ababa at 8:30 p.m.

The route will be operated with Boeing 737-800 aircraft, according to Ethiopian Airlines.

The airline said the new connection would give passengers in Port Harcourt direct access to its network through its Addis Ababa hub, including destinations across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.

“We are pleased to further strengthen our presence in Nigeria with the addition of Port Harcourt, our fifth destination in the country,” Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said.

He said the new route would support trade, tourism and business links between Nigeria and other markets.

Port Harcourt is a major commercial centre in the Niger Delta and an important base for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The new international connection could therefore provide an additional option for business travellers and companies operating in the region, while also connecting the city to Ethiopian Airlines’ wider international network.

Ethiopian Airlines currently serves Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Enugu in Nigeria. Its first service to Nigeria began in 1960, making the country one of the airline’s longest-served African markets.

The Port Harcourt service also comes as Ethiopian Airlines continues to expand its African network. The airline announced a new service to Nacala, Mozambique, a day before announcing the Port Harcourt route.

Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s largest airline group by network, operating passenger and cargo services across Africa and international destinations. The airline is a member of Star Alliance.

The new Port Harcourt route is expected to strengthen the city’s international air links while giving passengers in Nigeria’s oil and gas hub another connection to Ethiopian Airlines’ global network through Addis Ababa.