India, July 27 -- Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and Africa World Airlines, the Accra-based carrier that has connected Ghana and the wider West African region for more than a decade, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a strategic partnership spanning codeshare and interline cooperation, cargo collaboration and frequent flyer programmes.

The Agreement

- Signed in Accra, Ghana on 24 July 2026.

- Covers codeshare and interline cooperation, cargo collaboration, and loyalty programme integration.

- Designed to deepen Etihad's presence in West Africa and expand AWA's reach globally.

Passenger Benefits

- Single-ticket travel: Etihad guests can connect beyond Accra across AWA's West African network (Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, Lagos, Abuja, Ouagadougou).

- AWA customers gain access to Abu Dhabi and Etihad's 118 destinations worldwide.

- Combined journeys will be available for sale once interline cooperation is implemented.

Cargo & Loyalty

- Ghanaian and West African exporters will gain access to Etihad Cargo's global capacity.

- Frequent flyer members of both airlines will have expanded opportunities to earn and redeem points.

Leadership Voices

- Arik De (Etihad CCO): "This framework spans passenger services, cargo and loyalty, and it will connect Ghanaian travellers and businesses to Abu Dhabi and to our network across the world's fastest-growing markets."

- Sohail Mahmood (AWA COO): "This partnership will give our customers a direct line to Abu Dhabi's expansive network, while supporting greater opportunities for Ghanaian travellers and international businesses."

Looking Ahead

- The MoU sets the stage for Etihad's planned Abu Dhabi-Accra direct service launching on......

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Travel Media.