Ethiopian Airlines will resume daily flights to Durban, South Africa, from December 11, 2026, restoring a key connection between the coastal city and its Addis Ababa hub as the carrier continues to expand its African network.
Durban will become Ethiopian Airlines’ third destination in South Africa, alongside Johannesburg and Cape Town. The service is expected to improve travel options for passengers while supporting business, tourism and trade links between South Africa, the rest of Africa and international markets.
The flights will operate daily as ET 889 from Addis Ababa, departing at 8:35 a.m. and arriving in Durban at 1:25 p.m. The return service, ET 888, will leave Durban at 2:15 p.m. and arrive in Addis Ababa at 9 p.m.
Through its Addis Ababa hub, Ethiopian Airlines connects passengers travelling from Durban to destinations across its international network, offering onward links to markets in Africa, Europe, Asia and beyond.
Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Mesfin Tasew said the resumption would provide passengers with greater travel choice while strengthening connections between South Africa and the airline’s wider network.
The move also reinforces the carrier’s focus on intra-African connectivity, with the airline positioning its expanding network as a means of facilitating movement between African markets and supporting the continent’s broader trade and tourism ambitions.
Ethiopian Airlines has operated in South Africa for more than three decades, beginning services to Johannesburg in 1993 before adding Cape Town in 2015. The return to Durban further strengthens its presence in one of Africa’s major travel and commercial markets.
The restored service will give Durban travellers another connection to the airline’s Addis Ababa hub, while providing international passengers with an additional gateway to South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.
