Ethiopian Airlines has expanded its Nigeria schedule, lifting total weekly services to 53 and introducing a new Port Harcourt route. The carrier increased Lagos frequencies to 21 weekly flights, offering up to three services a day, and added four weekly flights to Kano, bringing that route to 11 weekly departures. The new four-weekly Port Harcourt link completes the carrier's domestic footprint alongside Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Enugu.
The airline framed the move as a strategic bet on Nigeria's market and broader economic prospects. Firiehiwot Mekonnen, Ethiopian's general manager in Nigeria, said the additional frequencies and the Port Harcourt link give travellers more flexibility, greater seat availability, improved connectivity and access to more competitive fares. She said the expansion also supports inbound tourism by leveraging Ethiopian's global hub to connect international visitors to Nigeria.
Mekonnen highlighted the wider economic impact the carrier expects from the growth. She noted extra flights create business for ground handlers, airports, travel agencies, hotels, transport providers and caterers, while generating direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians. The introduction of Port Harcourt, she said, will strengthen international connectivity for the South-South region by linking the area into Ethiopian's network across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas via Addis Ababa.
The airline also thanked federal and aviation authorities for facilitation, and signalled a commitment to long-term operations in Nigeria. Ethiopian framed the expansion as value creation for the country through improved connectivity, increased tourism, new business opportunities and employment. For passengers and local service providers alike, the network boost immediately raises capacity and offers more scheduling choices on key domestic corridors.
The operational changes will take effect as the carrier integrates the additional rotations into its Nigerian timetable. For the aviation sector, the move underscores continued demand for international connectivity into and within Nigeria, and positions Ethiopian to capture growth across multiple domestic markets.
