Five Cities, One Sky: Ethiopian Airlines Expands Nigeria Network with New Port Harcourt Link
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline group, announce on via a media released dated 17 September 2026 that it will launch scheduled passenger service between Addis Ababa and Port Harcourt on 1 December 2026, making the Rivers State capital its fifth destination in Nigeria alongside Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Enugu.
The new route will operate four times weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, according to the airline’s published schedule. The full schedule is as follows:
| Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ET 945 | Addis Ababa (ADD) → Port Harcourt (PHC) | 09:30 | 12:25 | Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
| ET 945 | Port Harcourt (PHC) → Addis Ababa (ADD) | 13:10 | 20:30 | Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
Speaking on the launch, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said: “We are pleased to further strengthen our presence in Nigeria with the addition of Port Harcourt, our fifth destination in the country. Our continued expansion in Nigeria reflects our commitment to supporting the country’s economic development through enhanced air connectivity. The new service will provide greater convenience and seamless travel options for our customers while reinforcing trade, tourism, and business links between Nigeria, Africa, and the rest of the world.”
Port Harcourt is one of Nigeria’s leading commercial and industrial centres and a strategic gateway to the country’s oil and gas sector. For business travellers, the service creates a direct international connection out of the Niger Delta via Addis Ababa, potentially reducing reliance on onward connections through Lagos or Abuja for some journeys. From the Ethiopian hub, passengers gain access to the carrier’s wider network spanning Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
Nigeria remains one of Ethiopian Airlines’ most significant and longest-served markets in Africa, with the airline first flying to the country in 1960. The Port Harcourt launch extends that six-decade relationship and reinforces the carrier’s strategy of strengthening intra-African connectivity through its Bole International Airport hub, which today feeds a network of more than 160 passenger and cargo destinations across five continents.
