Nacala, Mozambique, June 11, 2026 (Lusa) - Direct flights between Nacala, in northern Mozambique, and the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, are set to begin in July, in a move aimed at boosting tourism, trade and investment, it was announced on Thursday.
“We will have direct flights between Addis Ababa and Nacala, and this will boost not only demand but also tourist traffic in Nacala, Nampula and Mozambique as a whole,” said the secretary of state for tourism, Fredson Bacar, in Nacala, as quoted today by the local media.
According to the minister, the new air link is expected to strengthen international connectivity in northern Mozambique, facilitating the movement of tourists, businesspeople and investors, as part of efforts to promote the region’s economic and tourism potential.
The chairman of the Nacala District Business Council, Rukssati Muoti, considered that the route represents an opportunity to include the city into the main international circuits served by the Ethiopian airline.
"Soon, Ethiopia, from Nacala to Addis Ababa. This will therefore open up the whole world to us and we will be connected to the whole world from Nacala,” he said.
The launch of the route follows agreements reached during Mozambican president Daniel Chapo’s visit to Ethiopia in April, as part of efforts to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
On that occasion, the head of state announced negotiations with Ethiopian Airlines to expand air links between the two countries, including the creation of the route to Nacala and an increase in flight frequencies to the city of Beira, in central Mozambique.
If this goes ahead, the Ethiopian airline will increase its weekly flights to Beira from five to seven, thereby also strengthening the link between Mozambique and one of the main air transport hubs on the African continent.
Daniel Chapo argued that the new connections between Mozambique and Ethiopia should facilitate the movement of businesspeople and investors and boost strategic sectors such as tourism, trade, logistics, energy and infrastructure.
“We also want to open a route to Nacala, which means that if our businesspeople wish to fly to Mozambique, to Maputo, from Addis Ababa, they can fly at any time; they can also fly to Beira at any time; and to Nacala, very soon, they will also be able to fly at any time,” said the Mozambican president, anticipating that the agreements would be finalised by July.
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