China Southern Airlines has launched a new passenger air route connecting Guangzhou in southern China to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, through Changsha, opening another travel and trade link between China and Africa.
The inaugural flight landed in Addis Ababa on Monday night, October 12, 2026, carrying more than 200 passengers. The aircraft received a traditional water-cannon salute upon arrival, marking the start of the new service.
The new service operates twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, using Boeing 787 wide-body aircraft. It connects Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport with Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, with a stopover at Changsha Huanghua International Airport in China’s Hunan Province.
The launch marks China Southern’s entry into the Ethiopian market and establishes a new connection operated by a Chinese airline between the two countries.
Boost for trade and tourism
The new route is expected to strengthen business travel, tourism and commercial exchanges between China and Ethiopia, while improving connections between China’s central and southern regions and the African market.
A group of 20 tourists from Guangzhou was among those travelling on the inaugural flight. The group planned a nine-day visit to Ethiopia, including the capital and communities in the country’s south, according to Xinhua reporting published by China’s embassy in Laos.
The service also offers passengers onward connections through Addis Ababa to other African destinations, including Harare, Lusaka and Cairo. This could make the route useful to travellers from beyond Ethiopia, particularly businesspeople and tourists seeking connections across the continent.
Growing competition on China–Africa routes
The launch comes amid rising demand for air travel between China and Africa. Aviation Week, citing Sabre Market Intelligence data, reported that the market generated an estimated 2.93 million two-way passengers in 2025, a 36 per cent increase from approximately 2.15 million in 2024.
Despite this growth, only about 17.9 per cent of those passengers travelled on nonstop services, indicating significant demand for improved direct connections.
China Southern’s entry into the Ethiopian market also introduces additional competition on the Guangzhou–Addis Ababa corridor, which is already served by Ethiopian Airlines’ nonstop flights.
For Ethiopia, the new service reinforces Addis Ababa’s position as a major aviation gateway for Africa. For China, it expands access to an important East African market and supports efforts to deepen trade and investment ties across the continent.
A new trade corridor
The launch coincided with the inauguration of the Hunan–Ethiopia International Trade Corridor, an initiative intended to strengthen economic cooperation and improve transport and logistics links between Hunan Province and African countries.
Officials said future efforts would focus on expanding flight capacity in response to demand, improving air cargo connections and facilitating trade and business exchanges. Hunan has also hosted the China–Africa Economic and Trade Expo since 2019, reflecting its growing role in China–Africa commercial relations.
The new route is therefore more than an additional passenger service. By connecting Guangzhou and Changsha with Addis Ababa, it creates another channel for tourism, business travel and cargo movement between China and Africa.
Its long-term impact will depend on passenger demand, the development of cargo traffic and whether stronger air links translate into sustained growth in trade and investment between the two regions.
