Etihad Airways and Nigerian carrier Ibom Air have signed an interline agreement that will let passengers fly to five Nigerian cities on a single ticket, the two airlines said.

The arrangement will take effect when Etihad starts its own services to Lagos and Accra in March 2027, according to Etihad's statement on Monday.

Under the agreement, Etihad passengers arriving in Lagos or Accra can continue on Ibom Air to Abuja, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Enugu. Connections will also be available between Accra and Abuja and between Accra and Uyo. One booking will cover the whole journey, and bags will be checked through to the final destination, the airlines said.

Etihad said Uyo and Calabar, in the south, join Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Enugu on the list of Nigerian cities it can sell on a single ticket.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline will start a daily service to Lagos on March 23, 2027, and four flights a week to Accra from March 24, 2027.

"Our ambitions in Africa are long-term, and Nigeria sits at the centre of them," said Arik De, Etihad's Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer. He said partnering with airlines that know their own markets is how Etihad plans to grow on the continent, and that having the deal in place before the flights begin means it arrives in the region already connected to cities beyond Lagos and Accra.

Ibom Air Managing Director and Chief Executive George Uriesi described the agreement as a major turning point in the airline's aim of becoming a world-class African regional carrier. He said it gives international travellers access to Ibom Air's destinations through a single booking and positions the airline as Etihad's main domestic and regional connection for its Nigeria and Ghana operations starting next year.

Tickets combining the two airlines' networks will go on sale from November 3, Etihad said.

Source: PR