Debut for the Shanghai-Africa Nonstop Flight

Weekly Mandarin Translation

According to Xinhua news, Ethiopian Airlines launched its first nonstop flight to Shanghai on March 30th.  Ethiopian Airlines flight ET584 arrived at 3:15pm on March 30th in the Shanghai Pudong International Airport after flying for more than 10 hours. This marked the official opening of the air route between Addis Ababa (capital of Ethiopia) and Shanghai. This is also the first non-stop air flight between Shanghai and Africa.

新华网上海３月３１日电（记者贾远琨）３月３０日１５时１５分，由埃塞俄比亚航空公司执飞的ＥＴ６８４航班经过１０多个小时的飞行，顺利降落上海浦东国际机场。这标志着埃塞俄比亚首都亚的斯亚贝巴与上海之间的直飞航线正式开通。这也是上海通往非洲大陆的首条直达航线。

This article has been translated from Mandarin. Click here to read the original version on Xinua News.

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 runs on the Shanghai-Addis Ababa route with one flight per day. The opening of the route fills the lack of Shanghai-Africa air traffic and strengthens Shanghai Pudong International Airport's aviation hub status. This route also ends Shanghai's history of lacking non-stop flights to Africa and will enhance the commercial bonds between Shanghai and Africa.

Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive Office of Ethiopian Airlines, proudly announced that they "are the fourth global airline company to open air routes to China. Since 1973, Ethiopian Airlines has been serving the Chinese market - over 40 years. Today, Ethiopian Airlines provides 28 flights from four major Chinese cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou) to Addis Ababa every week. We will connect Shanghai with 48 African destinations and Brazil (Rio and Sao Paolo) every single day."

As Sino-African cooperation on trade, investment, and tourism deepens, Ethiopian Airlines has expanded its route network in China rapidly, which will further strengthen the ties between the two countries.

Article translated by Qiuyun Shang, Staff Intern for the Kissinger Institute at the Wilson Center.

Photo couresty of Flickr user russavia.