New air route launched between China, Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A China Southern Airlines flight landed in Ethiopia on Monday night, marking the successful inaugural flight of a new and only air route operated by a Chinese carrier between China and Ethiopia. The flight, carrying over 200 passengers, was welcomed by a traditional water cannon salute when it arrived. "We are a tourist group from Guangzhou, consisting of 20 people. We took the first flight of China Southern Airlines to Addis Ababa. We are quite excited, and it was also a memorable experience," said Zhu Binghong, a tour group leader. The tour group will stay in Ethiopia for nine days to explore the capital and the tribes in Southern Ethiopia, according to Zhu. The passenger flight is operated twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, connecting the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou and Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, via the central Chinese city of Changsha. As China-Africa economic and trade cooperation and personnel exchanges continue to grow, China Southern Airlines said that it will continuously explore intercontinental routes and expand air links between China and Africa to promote connectivity between the two sides. ■