ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's national air carrier, Ethiopian Airlines is to increase its flight frequencies to the Chinese cities of Chengdu and Guangzhou, an Ethiopian official said on Thursday.
Speaking exclusively to Xinhua, Asrat Begashaw, head of public relations at Ethiopian Airlines, said flight frequencies to Guangzhou and Chengdu will increase from 10 flights per week and four flights per week to 14 flights per week and 10 flights per week respectively.
"The increase in flight frequencies to the southern Chinese commercial hub of Guangzhou and the Chinese central city of Chengdu, will not only boost air traffic between China and Ethiopia, but also between China and the rest of Africa," said Begashaw.
"Ethiopia is working to attract substantial number of Chinese tourists. In addition, Ethiopia hopes to boost the cargo flights link with China, these new flight additions will boost both goals," said Begashaw.
He further said Ethiopian Airlines plans to double flight frequencies to China's capital, Beijing from the current seven times a week to 14 times per week, during the current Ethiopian Fiscal Year 2019/2020, which started on July 8.
Ethiopian Airlines also operates seven flights per week to Chinse cities of Hong Kong and Shanghai respectively.
Begashaw also said Ethiopian Airlines hopes to start once per week flights to the Chinese tech hub, Shenzhen during the 2019/2020 fiscal year.
Ethiopian Airlines was the first African carrier to offer flight services to China back in 1973.
