SINGAPORE, 11 August 2026: Etihad Airways has recently signed three partnership agreements with African airlines: an interline agreement with Fastjet in Zimbabwe, followed by agreements with Air Peace in Nigeria and Africa World Airlines in Ghana. 

The interline agreement with Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline, signed in Lagos on 22 July, opens 20 destinations across Nigeria, West and Central Africa to Etihad’s guests. 

Photo credit: Etihad.

The Memorandum of Understanding with Africa World Airlines, the Accra-based carrier serving Ghana and the wider region, signed in Accra on 24 July, sets out cooperation across codeshare, interline, cargo and loyalty.

Fastjet Zimbabwe extends Etihad’s reach into Southern Africa ahead of the airline’s Harare flights. 

The July agreements also build on Etihad’s strategic joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines, and together they enable Etihad to carry its guests far beyond the destinations it serves with its own aircraft.

The African partnerships follow a deliberate sequence. In April, Etihad announced six new destinations across the continent, positioning Abu Dhabi as an efficient corridor between Africa, India and Asia for guests and for cargo, where demand is outpacing supply in trade-linked sectors. The new partnerships mean that when those routes launch, guests will be able to connect onward across West and Southern Africa from day one. The timing mirrors the UAE’s own deepening ties with the continent, exemplified by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed with Nigeria in January 2026.

Etihad Airways Chief Commercial and Revenue Officer, Arik De, said: “Africa is one of the fastest-growing aviation regions in the world, and this month we have moved quickly to grow with it. Three agreements in July, each shaped to its market: the reach of Fastjet in Southern Africa, the breadth of Air Peace’s network and the depth of a strategic framework with Africa World Airlines. When our new African routes take off, the partner network behind them will already be in place.”

(Source: Etihad)