Emirates has bolstered its presence across Africa, with the introduction of additional flights to Entebbe, Uganda; Addis Abba in Ethiopia; and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Once the additional frequencies are activated, Emirates will provide 161 weekly flights between African destinations and Dubai.
Since the inaugural flight into Africa with Cairo as its first destination in 1986, Emirates has progressively grown its presence on the continent and now serves 20 passenger and cargo gateways, boosting Africa’s connectivity and air transport market development.
Emirates expands Africa network
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “Africa has long been a priority region for Emirates, and we will deepen our strategic focus of expansion and continued investment on the continent, as an important anchor for our future network.
“The introduction of frequencies to our existing points in Uganda, South Africa and Ethiopia help support the region’s growth and provide critical links using Dubai as a key gateway to emerging economies across Asia and the Middle East.
“Over the last 30 years Emirates has played a pivotal role in the development of the region’s aviation and tourism sectors, not just through scaling our operations but by establishing strategic partnerships with local governments, tourism boards and likeminded airline partners across the travel ecosystem, to nurture the industry and realise its untapped potential.”
From October 27, Emirates ramped up operations between Dubai and Uganda from five weekly flights to a daily service.
Operated via a Boeing 777-300ER the additional flight will add 718 seats to and from Dubai-Entebbe every week, connecting to popular onwards destinations from Dubai such as Canada, the US, India and the UK, to name a few.
In the new year, the airline will also increase frequency in Ethiopia, with a daily flight connecting Dubai and Addis Abba from January 1, 2025.
Visitor numbers to Ethiopia continue to grow, guided by the vision to make Ethiopia one of the top five tourist destinations in Africa by 2025. By boosting its flight frequencies, Emirates will provide more convenient access, particularly for travellers from the Middle East and Far East.
This will be swiftly followed by the fourth daily flight to Johannesburg, which, from March 1, 2025, will introduce a morning slot to and from South Africa’s largest and busiest international airport.
The additional flight brings Emirates’ operations back to pre-pandemic levels, with 49 weekly flights into South Africa, one of the airline’s most in-demand destinations in Africa.
With 17 countries in Africa and a further 63 countries and territories globally, Emirates offers near-unrivalled connectivity, further amplified by its extensive partnership network.
In Africa, the airline’s footprint expands to over 210 regional points through five codeshare and 18 interline partners, providing access to more regional points via frictionless, one-ticket travel and simplified baggage throughput.
As an example, in 2023 Emirates signed an interline agreement with Royal Air Maroc, providing travellers with 18 additional domestic points in Morocco, such as Fez, Tangiers, Marrakech and many others, as well as an additional 17 routes beyond Dubai on an interline basis.
In addition to offering access to smaller regional points across the continent, Emirates’ partnerships unlock access to unique and exclusive destinations too. Through its interline agreement with South African carrier Cemair, the Dubai carrier enables customers to visit stunning leisure points such as Margate and Plettenberg Bay, while Pro Flight Zambia unlocks once-in-a-lifetime safari experience in Lower Zambezi National Park.
Earlier this month, Emirates made its much-awaited return to Lagos, connecting Nigeria’s economic hub to its global network with a direct, daily flight. Enhancing premium travel options, Emirates is one of only two airlines offering First Class in and out of Lagos.
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