…Abuja, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Enugu to gain single-ticket access as Etihad launches Lagos, Accra services
MON OCT 05 2026-theGBJournal| Travellers flying with Etihad Airways will be able to connect seamlessly to five Nigerian cities beyond Lagos from March 2027, under a new interline agreement with Ibom Air that could deepen Nigeria’s links to the United Arab Emirates carrier’s international network.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and Nigerian carrier Ibom Air have signed an interline agreement allowing Etihad passengers arriving through Lagos and Accra to continue their journeys to Abuja, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Enugu on a single ticket.
The arrangement is expected to take effect when Etihad begins its own services to Lagos and Accra in March 2027.
Under the agreement, passengers travelling from Etihad’s international network will be able to book onward connections on Ibom Air to the five Nigerian destinations as part of one itinerary.
Their baggage will also be checked through to their final destination, removing the need to make separate bookings for the domestic leg.
The agreement also provides connections between Accra and Abuja and Accra and Uyo, widening the potential market beyond passengers arriving directly from Etihad flights into Lagos.
The partnership puts Ibom Air’s growing domestic network in a position to serve as a feeder for Etihad’s international operations, while Etihad gains access to a wider range of Nigerian destinations without having to operate its own aircraft on those domestic routes.
Aviation watchers say the practical benefit is a more integrated journey.
“An international traveller can book a trip to one of the five cities through Etihad, fly into Lagos or Accra and continue on Ibom Air under the same booking, with luggage transferred through to the final destination,” a source who is familiar with the deal tells the G&B Journal.
The addition of Uyo and Calabar is particularly notable, giving international passengers direct booking access to two cities in Nigeria’s South-South region, alongside Abuja, Port Harcourt and Enugu.
The agreement could therefore prove important beyond convenience for travellers.
It gives Ibom Air an opportunity to tap into international passenger flows and potentially increase demand on its domestic routes, while Etihad can offer its customers a broader Nigerian network as it expands its presence in the country.
For Nigeria’s aviation market, the deal also points to the growing importance of interline arrangements in connecting international carriers with domestic airlines, particularly as airlines seek to expand destinations without taking on the cost of operating every route themselves.
Etihad passengers travelling for business, family visits or tourism will consequently have access to a wider selection of Nigerian destinations through a single booking once the arrangement comes into effect in March 2027.
The partnership marks a new link between Etihad’s international network and Ibom Air’s domestic footprint, potentially positioning the Nigerian carrier as an important connecting partner for passengers travelling between Nigeria and markets served by the UAE airline.
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