Australia’s long-distance aviation map is poised for a dramatic redraw as Ethiopian Airlines unveils plans to launch non-stop flights from Addis Ababa to Perth, Sydney and Melbourne from 2028. The move would establish the first direct air bridge between Australia and mainland Africa operated by the continent’s largest carrier, opening new options for business, tourism and transit passengers across three continents.
A Landmark Expansion Linking Australia and Africa
Ethiopian Airlines’ 2028 target for entering the Australian market marks the culmination of years of industry speculation about when the fast-growing African carrier would finally extend its reach to the Pacific. The airline has spent the past decade building Addis Ababa into a powerful connecting hub between Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and Australia has long been regarded inside the industry as the missing piece in its global network.
Non-stop services to Perth, Sydney and Melbourne would position Ethiopian as a new player in the highly competitive Australia long-haul market, currently dominated by Qantas, major Gulf carriers and a cluster of North Asian and North American airlines. For Australia, the arrival of a direct African operator promises to rebalance connectivity toward a continent that has historically been underserved with one-stop or two-stop routings via the Middle East or Asia.
The proposed routes would also strengthen Australia’s access to the African continent at a time when trade, education and people-to-people links are quietly deepening. Ethiopian’s pan-African network, which already spans dozens of cities across East, West and Southern Africa, would give Australian travellers one-stop access to key markets such as Nairobi, Johannesburg, Lagos and Accra via Addis Ababa.
How 2028 Fits into Ethiopian Airlines’ Global Strategy
Targeting 2028 for Australian operations dovetails with Ethiopian Airlines’ wider, long-term expansion strategy. In recent years the carrier has rapidly added new destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, underpinned by a modern long-haul fleet built around the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. This aircraft mix is well suited to ultra-long sectors linking East Africa with Australia, where flight times are expected to approach or exceed 15 hours depending on the city pair.
The airline has made no secret of its ambition to cement Addis Ababa’s status as a global super-connector, using its geographic position near the intersection of routes between Africa, Europe, Asia and now potentially Oceania. New services to hubs such as Abu Dhabi as part of a strategic joint venture with Etihad Airways have already improved connectivity into Asia and Australia, laying indirect groundwork for future non-stop operations into the Australian continent itself.
By setting a medium-term horizon rather than rushing into the market, Ethiopian is signaling that it intends to align fleet deliveries, crew training and airport infrastructure with the operational demands of ultra-long-haul flying. The 2028 start date also allows time to secure traffic rights, airport slots and commercial agreements with Australian and regional partners that will be crucial to filling seats year-round on such lengthy services.
Perth, Sydney and Melbourne: Why These Cities Matter
The decision to focus on Perth, Sydney and Melbourne reflects a calculated balance of geography, demand and connectivity. Perth, already a key gateway for non-stop flights from Europe and Africa, offers the shortest great-circle distance from Addis Ababa, making it the most accessible entry point operationally. Its growing role as a resource and energy hub also means strong corporate and fly-in fly-out traffic potential to and from African mining and infrastructure markets.
Sydney and Melbourne, meanwhile, represent Australia’s largest and most globally connected metropolitan areas, with extensive onward domestic and regional networks. For Ethiopian Airlines, securing presence in both cities would tap deep pools of business, visiting-friends-and-relatives and inbound tourism demand, while also giving the carrier visibility in two of the Asia-Pacific’s most competitive long-haul markets.
The three-city strategy suggests Ethiopian is not approaching Australia as a niche or experimental add-on, but rather as a major new geography. With adequate frequency, the airline could create a robust triangular flow of passengers: Australians heading to Africa and Europe, Africans traveling to Australia and New Zealand, and Asian travellers using Addis Ababa as an alternative one-stop gateway between North Asia or India and Australia.
New Competition in an Intensifying Long-Haul Market
Ethiopian’s 2028 ambitions arrive at a time when competition for long-haul passengers to and from Australia is intensifying. In recent years, Qantas has doubled down on ultra-long non-stop flights, Gulf carriers have restored and expanded capacity, and European and Asian airlines have continued to build out their Australian networks. New entrants from the Middle East and Asia are also circling the market, promising fresh one-stop options from smaller international hubs into major Australian cities.
Against this backdrop, Ethiopian will need to carefully position its offering. The Addis Ababa hub can provide strong connectivity to secondary African cities that are currently poorly served from Australia, offering a clear point of difference. Competitive fares and convenient arrival and departure banks in both directions will be essential to win over travellers accustomed to transiting via Dubai, Doha, Singapore or Hong Kong.
The airline’s established partnerships, including its membership of Star Alliance, open the door to cooperation with alliance partners that are already active in the Australian market. Codeshare arrangements and coordinated schedules could help Ethiopian build scale more quickly, particularly in the early years of operation when brand awareness in Australia may still be emerging.
Economic and Tourism Opportunities for Australia
For Australia, direct Ethiopian Airlines services would arrive at a time when tourism authorities and state governments are pushing hard to diversify source markets and ease reliance on a handful of traditional regions. Africa is increasingly seen as a growth frontier for both inbound tourism and student travel, with rising middle-class populations and expanding aviation connectivity out of key hubs like Addis Ababa.
Non-stop flights into Perth, Sydney and Melbourne would give tourism bodies a new platform to promote Australian destinations across multiple African markets leveraged through Ethiopian’s regional network. Safari-goers, diaspora communities, students and business travellers could all be targeted with itineraries that pair African and Australian experiences in a single trip, capitalising on improved journey times and simpler routings.
The economic upside is not limited to tourism. Direct air links often pave the way for deeper trade and investment engagement. Sectors such as mining, agriculture, education and professional services stand to benefit from more predictable connection patterns and shorter door-to-door travel times between Australian capitals and African commercial centres. For cities like Perth, with longstanding resource ties to Africa, Ethiopian’s presence could reinforce their role as staging points for cross-continental projects.
What This Means for Australian Travellers
For Australian travellers, Ethiopian’s planned non-stop routes would translate into a new set of options when considering Africa-bound journeys or multi-continent itineraries. Instead of defaulting to connections through the Middle East or Europe, passengers could route via Addis Ababa for more direct access to East and Southern Africa, as well as to parts of West Africa that currently require multiple stops.
Typical travel times between Australia and African capitals could be significantly reduced on some routings, particularly for journeys that today involve backtracking through European hubs. A Perth to Addis Ababa flight, for example, would offer a shorter great-circle path into eastern Africa than one-stop routes via the Gulf, potentially shaving hours off total travel time for certain destinations when combined with efficient connections.
Product-wise, Ethiopian’s long-haul fleet configuration, which generally features lie-flat business class, premium economy on selected aircraft and modern inflight entertainment, will be closely scrutinised by Australian frequent flyers accustomed to high standards on international routes. How the airline prices these new services and positions its cabins against the competition will help determine whether the new non-stops gain rapid traction or build gradually through niche demand segments.
Operational Challenges and the Road to 2028
Launching ultra-long-haul routes into a new continent is a complex undertaking. Ethiopian will need to secure bilateral approvals and traffic rights from Australian and Ethiopian regulators, negotiate airport slots at increasingly congested gateways like Sydney and Melbourne, and ensure ground handling, catering and maintenance arrangements are in place from day one.
The airline will also have to decide which aircraft types to dedicate to the Australian missions. Fleet planning decisions over the next two to three years, including any additional widebody orders or cabin retrofits, will be shaped in part by the performance requirements of the Perth, Sydney and Melbourne sectors. Range, fuel efficiency, cargo capability and passenger comfort are all critical factors on flights of this length.
Operational reliability will be another priority. Weather patterns across the Indian Ocean, crew duty time limits and the need for high on-time performance on connecting banks in Addis Ababa all add layers of complexity. The 2028 timeframe allows Ethiopian to model different schedule options, test connectivity scenarios and build sufficient operational resilience before committing to firm launch dates and timetables.
A New Chapter in Australia’s Long-Haul Story
Ethiopian Airlines’ planned non-stop services to Perth, Sydney and Melbourne promise to add a distinct African dimension to Australia’s evolving long-haul aviation landscape. As ultra-long flights become more commonplace and hub competition intensifies, the arrival of a new carrier from a growing African powerhouse underscores how global traffic flows are shifting beyond the traditional North Atlantic and Asia-Pacific corridors.
For travellers, the prospect of boarding a direct flight from an Australian capital to the heart of East Africa signals a step-change in choice and convenience. For governments and businesses, the routes offer a tangible new bridge between two continents whose commercial and cultural ties have often lagged behind their potential. With a multi-year runway to 2028, industry watchers will be tracking how Ethiopian Airlines converts its ambition into concrete schedules, and how Australia prepares to welcome its newest ultra-long-haul neighbour to the skies.