Ethiopian Airlines, China Southern sign codeshare agreement

Ethiopian Airlines and China Southern Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement to strengthen cooperation and expand connectivity across Africa, China and other international markets.

Ethiopian Airlines said the agreement focuses on direct services between China and Ethiopia, as well as extending connectivity to regional markets, Xinhua, China’s official state news agency, reported.

The announcement follows the arrival of a China Southern Airlines Boeing 787 in Ethiopia on Monday night, 12 October 2026, marking the inaugural service on the only route between China and Ethiopia operated by a Chinese carrier.

The flight, carrying more than 200 passengers, was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute upon arrival.

The service operates twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, connecting Guangzhou in southern China with Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, via Changsha in central China.

Speaking at the codeshare launch event, Zeng Yongchao, Executive Vice President of China Southern Air Holding Company, said the route will create business opportunities, facilitate the movement of people and goods, and connect China and Africa toward a shared and prosperous future.

Liu Xiaoguang, minister counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, said the new route is a concrete step towards implementing the consensus reached at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. It will also strengthen Ethiopia’s position as a regional transport hub and expand the ‘Air Silk Road’ between China and Africa, China.org.cn reported.

“The new route will give fresh impetus to people-to-people exchanges and deeper economic and trade cooperation between China and Ethiopia, and between China and Africa more broadly,” said Liu. He also noted that China Southern Airlines has the largest fleet, the broadest route network and the highest annual passenger volume of any airline in China.

Welcoming the airline’s decision to launch the new route to Addis Ababa, Yohannes Abera, Director General of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, said the service would establish a direct link between Addis Ababa and two of China’s most dynamic provinces. He added that the route marked an important milestone as Addis Ababa continues to develop as a regional aviation hub.