Travellers flying Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi will be able to connect to five Nigerian cities on a single ticket when the UAE carrier begins flights to Lagos and Accra in March 2027.
Etihad and Nigerian airline Ibom Air have signed an interline agreement that will allow passengers arriving in Lagos or Accra to continue their journeys to Abuja, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Enugu.
The agreement will cover the entire journey under one booking, with baggage checked through to the passenger’s final destination.
It will also provide connections between Accra and Abuja, and between Accra and Uyo, expanding Ibom Air’s role as a domestic and regional link for Etihad’s African network.
Etihad is scheduled to launch a daily service between Abu Dhabi and Lagos on March 23, 2027, followed by four weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Accra from March 24.
“Our ambitions in Africa are long-term, and Nigeria sits at the centre of them,” said Arik De, Etihad Airways’ chief revenue and commercial officer.
“Ibom Air has built a strong domestic network from its base in Uyo, and partnerships with airlines that know their own markets are how we grow on the continent.”
De said having the agreement in place before the new Lagos and Accra services begin would allow Etihad to connect passengers to destinations beyond its own network from the outset.
For Ibom Air, the agreement provides a route for international travellers to access its domestic destinations through a single booking.
“This agreement marks a significant milestone in our journey to becoming a truly world-class African regional airline,” said George Uriesi, managing director and chief executive officer of Ibom Air.
He said the partnership would improve connectivity and position Ibom Air as a key domestic and regional connection for Etihad’s operations into Nigeria and Ghana.
Tickets combining the two airlines’ networks will go on sale from November 3.
Ibom Air, owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government, currently operates seven Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft and two Airbus A220-300s, serving seven domestic destinations as well as Accra, Ghana.
The airline has built its network around schedule reliability, on-time departures and service as it expands its role in Nigeria’s aviation market.
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