Ethiopian Airlines and China Southern Sign Agreement to Connect More Cities

Ethiopian Airlines and China Southern Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement to expand connections between China and Ethiopia, building on cooperation launched last year and a new route linking Addis Ababa with southern China.

The agreement will allow passengers to access both airlines’ networks and connect to destinations across Africa and China, according to an announcement on October 14.

The deal follows a memorandum of understanding signed by the airlines in June 2025 to explore cooperation in codesharing, interline services, cargo transport and improving connections between their networks.

The partnership comes two days after China Southern launched flights on the Guangzhou–Changsha–Addis Ababa route on October 12. The service operates twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, using a Boeing 787 wide-body aircraft, according to the Hunan provincial government.

The route is the only Ethiopia-bound service operated by a Chinese airline, according to China's state news agency Xinhua. It connects Addis Ababa with Guangzhou, a major commercial centre in southern China, via Changsha in central China.

The new service also creates opportunities for onward travel through Addis Ababa, where passengers can connect to African destinations served by Ethiopian Airlines. Hunan's provincial government said travellers could reach 11 African cities, including Harare, Lusaka and Cairo, through connections at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

Ethiopian Airlines has served China since 1973 and already operates flights between Addis Ababa and Chinese cities. China Southern's entry into the Ethiopian market adds another carrier to the route, while the codeshare agreement could make it easier for passengers to combine services operated by the two airlines.

China is also a major trading partner for Ethiopia, with commercial links spanning manufactured goods, machinery, agricultural products and infrastructure projects. Improved air connectivity could support business travel and passenger movement between the two markets, although the airlines have not disclosed projected passenger volumes or the expected commercial impact of the agreement.

Source: FSX Business News