Ethiopian Airlines likely to add 3 more Chinese flights to Shenzhen, Chongqing, Zhengzhou

Ethiopia's national air carrier, Ethiopian Airlines is contemplating to add three more Chinese flight destinations, according to an Ethiopian official.

Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines Group, said to Xinhua that Ethiopian Airlines is waiting for flight permits from the Chinese authorities to fly to the Chinese destinations of Shenzhen, Chongqing and Zhengzhou.

"In addition to planning three new Chinese destinations, Ethiopian Airlines is also planning to increase its flight frequencies to the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai," Gebremariam opined. "Ethiopia's cargo and passenger flight frequencies and destinations need to increase to keep up with the fast-rising ties between African countries and China," he further said.

Ethiopian Airlines currently operates daily passenger flights from Addis Ababa to Guangzhou and Beijing, and three-times-a-week passenger flights to Chengdu, as well as daily passenger and cargo flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airline to start flight services to China, back in 1973. Gebremariam also recently said Ethiopian Airlines has started facilitating visa hub service for Chinese travelling to 35 African countries. "Most African countries' embassies are located in Beijing, but China is a big country and some Chinese may not be able to come to Beijing to apply for visas in countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia or Nigeria," Gebremariam said.

"The visa scheme will facilitate easier air travel for Chinese experts and business people and reduces their financial cost. We believe the visa scheme will significantly boost China-Africa trade ties and we are very excited about it," he further said.

He further said the carrier has the largest air network for the African airlines in China, currently travelling to five Chinese destinations, helping Chinese and foreign nationals living in various corners of China to directly travel to Ethiopia and beyond without the need to transit through the Chinese capital city Beijing.

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