Southwest China’s First Direct All-Cargo Flight Route to Africa Launched

Published: Aug 28, 2026 20:46
[Southwest China’s First Direct All-Cargo Flight Route to Africa Launched] On 28 August, the first scheduled all-cargo flight route from Southwest China directly to Africa – the Chengdu Tianfu to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia – was officially launched. It is understood that the service operates twice weekly (on Mondays and Fridays), with each flight having a maximum cargo capacity of 100 tonnes. Inbound shipments primarily consist of African specialities such as coffee, fresh flowers, and fruit and vegetables; outbound shipments mainly comprise high-value-added products such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaic equipment and lithium-ion batteries. Addis Ababa is one of Africa’s key aviation hubs. Leveraging the local route network, goods departing from Chengdu can be transhipped to several major African cities upon arrival in Addis Ababa; conversely, goods from Africa can enter the western Chinese market via Chengdu and be distributed to other regions through transport networks including air, road and rail. The launch of this new route also adds a new air freight corridor for economic and trade exchanges between western China and Africa.

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