Ethiopian Airlines Explores 5th Freedom Flights from Accra to Canada

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is considering the launch of fifth-freedom long-haul flights connecting Accra, Ghana, to Canadian destinations Toronto Pearson and Montréal Trudeau. The airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, Lemma Yadecha Gudeta, confirmed the interest during a visit to Accra, emphasizing the pending approvals required from both Ghanaian and Canadian civil aviation authorities.

While Ethiopian Airlines awaits authorization from Canadian authorities for additional slots to fly to Canada, Gudeta expressed optimism, stating, “Hopefully, we are going to get more slots to fly to Canada. So, for sure, we will connect the western part of Africa to Canada.” If approved, fifth-freedom rights would enable the carrier to transport passengers and cargo from Ethiopia to Ghana and then onward to Canada.

Ethiopian Airlines currently operates four weekly fifth-freedom flights to Toronto Pearson via Dublin International. The potential expansion aligns with the carrier’s strategy to meet the growing demand for travel between West Africa and Canada. Gudeta highlighted the popularity of Canada as a destination for Ghanaian travelers and the absence of direct flights from West Africa to Canada.

The airline aims to enhance capacity by increasing frequencies from Addis Ababa to daily services to Toronto and four times weekly to Montreal. Gudeta indicated the airline’s keen interest in operating to Canada via West Africa and emphasized ongoing discussions with relevant authorities for necessary authorizations.

While Ethiopian Airlines did not provide formal comments on the matter, the carrier currently operates various fifth-freedom long-haul flights to destinations such as Washington Dulles, New York JFK, New York Newark, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson, Chicago O’Hare, Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta, Hong Kong International, Kuala Lumpur International, and more.