MOZAMBIQUE · AVIATION
Key Facts
- The country Mozambique is a southeast African country, and Nacala is a deep-water port city in its northern Nampula Province.
- What happened Ethiopian Airlines was due to start flights to Nacala on Tuesday 27 October 2026, linking the city to Addis Ababa, the airline’s hub.
- The schedule Flight ET875 runs three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with a Boeing 737 MAX 8 and a stop in Blantyre, Malawi.
- The diplomacy President Daniel Chapo pressed for the route during an April 2026 visit to Ethiopia and announced the start date on 20 October.
- The airline Ethiopian Airlines is owned by the Ethiopian state and calls itself Africa’s largest airline, with more than 60 destinations across the continent.
- The offer The airline is selling Nacala fares at 15% off until 31 October for travel between 27 October and 30 November 2026.
- Still open No passenger numbers, fares or load figures for the first flights have been published, and the July start first promised slipped to October.
The Ethiopian Airlines Nacala route was due to open on Tuesday 27 October 2026, according to Mozambican and airline sources. Nacala is a port city in northern Mozambique, and the service links it to Addis Ababa, the airline’s hub, three times a week.
Carta de Moçambique, a Maputo news outlet, credits the route to President Daniel Chapo’s economic diplomacy with Ethiopia. For American readers, it opens a new way to reach a region tied to Mozambique’s gas and mineral projects.
What Starts on Tuesday
Ethiopian Airlines announced on 16 September 2026 that its Nacala flight, ET875, would run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The plane is a Boeing 737 MAX 8, and Nacala becomes the airline’s third Mozambican destination after Maputo and Beira.
On the Ethiopian Airlines Nacala route, the plane leaves Addis Ababa in the morning, stops in Blantyre, Malawi, and reaches Nacala in the early afternoon. The airline’s group chief executive, Mesfin Tasew, called the third Mozambican destination “truly a proud moment for us”.
How Chapo’s Diplomacy Delivered the Route
President Chapo visited Ethiopia for two days in April 2026. He noted that Ethiopian already flies daily to Maputo and five times a week to Beira, and said Nacala should follow.
The 360 Mozambique news site reported on 29 April that he hoped for a July start, but the launch later moved to October. Chapo gave the final date on Tuesday 20 October at CAVAME-d 2026, a Nacala conference on adding value to minerals and energy, Lusa reported.
Why Nacala Matters
Chapo wants to turn Nacala into an industrial, logistics and energy hub, a goal set out in who runs Mozambique’s economy. He told the conference that people in the north who want to fly abroad would no longer need to go through Maputo or Johannesburg.
Nacala airport opened in 2014 and was built by Brazil’s Odebrecht with a US$125 million loan from Brazil’s development bank BNDES, Torre.News reported. The South African carrier Airlink has flown Johannesburg to Nacala twice a week since 2 February 2026, 360 Mozambique reported.
What Passengers Get
Through Addis Ababa, passengers can connect to Dubai, Portugal, India and China, Chapo said. Ethiopian Airlines Nacala fares are 15% off in Economy and Cloud Nine business class, bookable until 31 October for travel to 30 November 2026.
Ethiopian Airlines, whose Nacala service is a business and diplomatic move, is state-owned, so it does not trade on a stock exchange. In February, Mozambique’s ambassador to Ethiopia said the state airline LAM wants to learn from Ethiopian Airlines on restructuring and pilot training, 360 Mozambique reported.
The Blantyre Stop and Malawi
The routing through Blantyre gives Malawi, a landlocked neighbour, its own air link to Nacala. Mozambican outlets describe the service as direct, meaning one flight number, while the outbound leg stops in Malawi.
Travellers book Nacala to Addis Ababa on flight ET875, with the Blantyre stop coming on the outbound leg. The return flight from Nacala to Addis Ababa is scheduled as a nonstop, according to AeroRoutes schedule data.
What It Means for US Readers
The Ethiopian Airlines Nacala link gives investors and visiting executives a one-airline path into northern Mozambique through Addis Ababa. Chapo pitched Ethiopian business leaders on Mozambique’s large natural gas projects in April, and the route helps visiting executives and investors.
Travellers should still check the current US State Department advisory for Mozambique before booking. The route does not change security conditions in the north, where an insurgency has been active in Cabo Delgado Province.
What Is Not Known
Neither the airline nor Mozambican officials have published how many passengers booked the Ethiopian Airlines Nacala flights or what a typical fare costs. The civil aviation authority, known as IACM, has issued no public statement on the route.
Chapo’s hope of seven Ethiopian flights a week to Beira remains a plan from the April talks. The earlier July start shows that dates in this story have changed before.
More: Mozambique news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Ethiopian Airlines flights to Nacala start?
The Ethiopian Airlines Nacala service was scheduled to start on Tuesday 27 October 2026. After that, flight ET875 runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Which aircraft does Ethiopian use on the Nacala route?
Ethiopian Airlines uses a Boeing 737 MAX 8, a single-aisle jet. The outbound flight from Addis Ababa also stops in Blantyre, Malawi.
Why did President Chapo get involved?
Chapo asked for the Nacala route during his April 2026 visit to Ethiopia, as part of an effort to attract investment to northern Mozambique. He announced the start date in Nacala on 20 October 2026.
Is Ethiopian Airlines a listed company?
No, Ethiopian Airlines is owned by the Ethiopian state and does not trade on a stock exchange. Its Mozambique route is a business and diplomatic move rather than a share-price event.
Is there a discount on Nacala fares?
Ethiopian’s website offers 15% off Economy and Cloud Nine fares between Nacala and most of its network. Tickets must be bought by 31 October 2026 for travel between 27 October and 30 November 2026.
Sources: Carta de Moçambique, 28 October 2026; Evidências, 20 October 2026; Lusa via Correio da Manhã Canadá, 20 October 2026; Diário Económico, 21 October 2026; Ethiopian Airlines, October 2026; AJOT, 16 September 2026; 360 Mozambique, 29 April 2026; ATTA, 16 September 2026; AeroRoutes, 10 August 2026; Torre.News, 2025; 360 Mozambique (Airlink), 2 February 2026; 360 Mozambique (LAM), 18 February 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error