Etihad and Air Peace Link 20 African Cities to Abu Dhabi

Travelers across West and Central Africa just got a major connectivity boost that will connect millions of people to new opportunities, family, and business partnerships.

Etihad Airways and Air Peace signed an interline agreement on July 23 in Lagos that lets passengers book seamless trips from Abu Dhabi to 20 destinations across Nigeria, West Africa, and Central Africa. The deal means travelers can check their bags once and use a single ticket to reach cities that previously required multiple bookings and complicated connections.

The new routes cover major Nigerian hubs like Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano, plus regional capitals including Dakar, Senegal; Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire; Bamako, Mali; and Libreville, Gabon. For the millions of Nigerians living and working in the United Arab Emirates, visiting family just became significantly simpler.

The timing builds on momentum from a comprehensive economic partnership between the UAE and Nigeria signed earlier this year. Etihad plans to launch daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Lagos starting March 18, 2027, giving travelers even more options.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership does more than simplify travel logistics. It opens doors for small business owners in West Africa to connect with Middle Eastern markets, helps students studying abroad stay connected to home, and strengthens economic ties across regions that have historically faced connectivity challenges.

Air Peace, Nigeria's largest airline, already serves 18 domestic airports and is expanding fast. The airline launches new routes to Cameroon, Gabon, Mali, and Guinea in August, alongside newly approved Brazil service.

For travelers who previously faced long layovers or multiple airline bookings to reach smaller African cities from the Gulf region, this agreement transforms journeys that once took careful planning into straightforward trips. The partnership also positions Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, as a growing hub connecting the continent to global destinations.

Air Peace Chief Commercial Officer Nowel Ngala noted the deal opens Abu Dhabi as a destination for regional African travelers once the new daily flights launch next year.

Twenty cities across three regions just became more accessible to the world.