Etihad Airways have touched down in West Africa for the first time, with the announcement that the airline will be running flights to Lagos from July 1.
The new service will run between Abu Dhabi and Lagos six times a week, with 240 economy seats and 22 places in business class.
“The United Arab Emirates is a major trade partner of Nigeria, which has a population of more than 150 million people," said James Hogan, Etihad Airways president and CEO, "the largest in Africa and the seventh biggest in the world.
“The country is rich in natural resources, such as oil and natural gas. Our new point-to-point services will strengthen the oil and gas links between the UAE and Nigeria and facilitate further growth in these industries."
"The country is also enjoying strong economic growth driven by significant foreign investment, particularly from China, which means there is increasing demand for travel between Lagos and other emerging economies.
It's the latest step in Etihad Airway's expansion into Africa, which saw it launch flights to Nairobi in April, Seychelles in November and Tripoli in January.
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