Ethiopian Airlines inaugurated its first direct passenger service between Addis Ababa and Mauritius on July 12, 2026, giving travelers a thrice-weekly link to the Indian Ocean island and a new gateway into the carrier’s African network.

The service operates on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. It uses a Boeing 737 MAX 8 and connects Addis Ababa Bole International Airport with Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport near Port Louis.

The launch ended more than a decade of efforts to secure direct access to the Mauritian market. Travelers previously reached the island through interline and codeshare connections via Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Antananarivo.

The new flights cut more than three hours from some previous indirect routings. They also give passengers from Europe, the Americas, and Asia a single-connection route through the Addis Ababa hub.

Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, said the service would support both tourism and commercial ties.

“We are delighted to launch this direct flight service to Mauritius, making it easier for Africans and other international tourists to visit this beautiful African island destination, while also enhancing business and trade opportunities.”

The airline announced the route on June 1. The inaugural flight departed Addis Ababa on July 12 and received a traditional water salute after landing at Plaisance.

The new schedule adds three weekly flights

The route uses flight numbers ET 0887 and ET 0886. The times below are local.

The confirmed schedule replaces an earlier report of two weekly flights beginning June 15, 2026. The service instead began on July 12 with three departures each week.

The carrier says its Addis Ababa hub links Mauritius with 65 African cities. The broader network serves more than 145 destinations worldwide, giving the new route reach well beyond the two countries.

Mauritius becomes the airline’s 41st African country. The destination is the 62nd African city in its network.

The route arrives before a major business gathering

The launch comes ahead of the 18th U.S.-Africa Business Summit, scheduled for July 26–29, 2026, in Mauritius. Organizers expect more than 2,500 delegates, including heads of state and CEOs.

Lemma Yadecha, the airline’s Group Chief Commercial Officer, said the new service would extend commercial ties in both directions.

“The new route will enhance business-to-business partnerships, expand tourism opportunities, encourage investment, and facilitate trade between Ethiopia and Mauritius.”

The flights also support travel linked to COMESA, the African Union, and the AfCFTA, according to the route’s stated objectives. Those connections place the service within wider efforts to increase movement between African markets.

Mauritius’ Minister of Tourism, Christian Harold Richard Duval, described the entry as a diversification strategy. He said it would help the country reach new source markets across the airline’s 145-plus destinations.

Duval called the service the “beginning of a new chapter for tourism, connectivity, and cooperation across Africa,” and said it would help in “bringing African nations closer together.”

A 50-year anniversary framed the inauguration

The inaugural flight coincided exactly with the 50th anniversary of the airline’s first landing in Mauritius. That arrival took place in July 1976 for the 13th Organisation of African Unity Summit.

Indrarjeet Bambooa, Mauritius’ ambassador to Ethiopia, pointed to that anniversary during the launch events. The timing linked the new scheduled service with the airline’s earlier presence on the island.

Officials held a ceremony at the Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa on July 11. A second event took place when the aircraft arrived at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport on July 12.

Ambassador Hadera Abera (Admassu), Ethiopia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, described the route as a link between the two countries’ economies and communities.

“It is the opening of a new bridge connecting our two nations, our peoples and our economies. It reflects our shared commitment to promoting regional integration and creating new opportunities for trade, tourism, investment and cultural exchange.”

The arrival ceremony included the water salute at Plaisance. The launch was also presented as a new phase in Ethiopia-Mauritius relations.

Addis Ababa becomes the new connection point

The direct flight changes how passengers can reach Mauritius from the airline’s wider network. Travelers from Europe, the Americas, and Asia can connect once in Addis Ababa rather than relying on the previous routings through southern or eastern African hubs.

That structure gives the island access to markets served through the carrier’s international network. It also creates a direct passenger link between Ethiopia and Mauritius for the first time.

The route’s African reach includes 65 cities through the hub. The service therefore functions as more than a point-to-point connection, particularly for travelers whose journeys begin elsewhere on the continent.

The business case extends beyond tourism. Officials cited trade, investment, business-to-business partnerships, and cultural exchange as expected benefits, while the Mauritian tourism ministry emphasized new visitor markets.

The service joins a wider expansion program

The Mauritius launch forms part of the carrier’s Vision 2035 growth plan. The airline recently added service to Lyon, France, on July 2, 2026, as well as Jizan, Saudi Arabia.

The Mauritius route also expands the carrier’s Indian Ocean presence while adding another African country and city to its network. Its three-day weekly pattern provides departures across the middle and end of the week.

Passengers planning a connection should use the published flight numbers and local departure times when checking itineraries. ET 0887 leaves Addis Ababa at 08:50, while the return ET 0886 departs Mauritius at 16:15.

The inaugural service began on July 12, 2026, and the next major date tied to the route is the U.S.-Africa Business Summit from July 26–29.