Ethiopian Adds Nonstop Service from Washington, D.C. to Togo

A new, nonstop service to the African nation of Togo from Washington, D.C. will be launching soon thanks to yet another Ethiopian Airlines 5th Freedom route.

The inaugural flight will depart on June 1, 2022, with what looks like a year-round service.

Ethiopian’s service from Washington, D.C. (IAD) will join New York (JFK) and Newark (EWR) as the third U.S. airport with nonstop service with Ethiopian Airlines to the African nation of Togo.

Let’s find out more about this interesting new route.

Nonstop From Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Lomé (LFW) Starting Soon

The new service will actually depart from and return to Ethiopian’s hub in Addis Ababa (ADD), the capital of the East African nation of Ethiopia. As such, the airline would have had to secure 5th Freedom rights to be able to sell tickets for the longest leg of the journey between Togo and the U.S.

The route will be in addition to Ethiopian’s nonstop service from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Addis Ababa (ADD).

The 3-times weekly service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays as of Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

The schedule is as follows:

• Depart Washington, D.C. (IAD) 9:15 p.m. — Arrive Lomé (LFW) 11:55 a.m. (+1)
• Depart Lomé (LFW) 12:35 p.m. — Arrive Washington, D.C. (IAD) 7:20 p.m.

Passengers flying the route will do so on board one of the airline’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

Upfront in the airline’s Cloud Nine Business class cabin, there are 24 angle-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. This is a far cry from what most would expect to find in business class.

In economy, there are 246 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration — the layout that you’re likely to find on most airlines’ Dreamliners.

Ethiopian Airlines in the U.S.

Ethiopian Airlines has a well-established route network to the U.S.

As it stands, you can catch a nonstop service to the airline’s hub in Addis Ababa (ADD) from Chicago (ORD), Washington, D.C. (IAD), and Toronto (YYZ).

There are also a number of 5th Freedom routes — via Dublin (DUB) or Lomé (LFW) — similar to the latest addition between Washington, D.C. (IAD) and Lomé (LFW), which are:

• Chicago (ORD) to Dublin, Ireland (DUB)
• New York (JFK) to Lomé (LFW)
• Newark (EWR) to Lomé (LFW)
• Toronto (YYZ) to Dublin (DUB)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Dublin (DUB)

While no flexible currencies transfer directly to Ethiopian Airlines, it is a member of Star Alliance, and you can use its partner airlines to access Ethiopian award inventory.

Hot Tip: Has all this talk of Africa got you considering an adventure? Rest assured, getting there doesn’t have to break the bank as there are a number of ways to get to your desired African destination using points and miles. 

Final Thoughts

Any new route announcement is exciting, especially when it’s to an off-the-beaten-track destination like Lomé (LFW) in Togo.

Ethiopian’s latest route announcement between Washington, D.C. (IAD) and the Togolese capital is a further commitment to providing connectivity between African nations and the U.S.

Could there be a nonstop to the West Coast on the cards? Watch this space.