Chengdu opens first direct air cargo route to Africa

September 22, 2026 An Ethiopian Airlines ET3005 all-cargo flight flew from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, marking the launch of the city's first non-stop all-cargo route to Africa. It is the first Africa-bound cargo route opened since China introduced its zero-tariff policy on African products and the first all-cargo route connecting Southwest China and Africa.

The all-cargo flight lands at Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

Boeing 777F freighters will fly the route every Monday and Friday, with two more flights to be added at a later date.

From Addis Ababa to Chengdu, the aircraft will carry African agricultural, forestry and livestock products, such as coffee and fresh flowers. It will also deliver Chinese high value-added commodities to Africa, such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaic equipment and lithium batteries.

As Addis Ababa is an Ethiopian Airlines transit hub, cargo flown there can be efficiently distributed to major cities across all 54 African countries, including Lagos, Accra, Dakar, Entebbe and Lubumbashi.

Chengdu and Chongqing, a municipality in Southwest China, have large markets and can distribute these commodities through their sound commercial distribution networks, rapidly consuming the African imports.

Tianfu International Airport has opened 77 international and regional air routes to date as it adheres to a strategy of developing both passenger and cargo transport.

From January to July this year, the airport handled an import and export volume of 330.35 billion yuan ($49.24 billion), accounting for 62.6 percent of the total volume of all Chengdu's airports. Its designated supervision sites handled 5,991 metric tons of special goods for import and export, a year-on-year rise of 40 percent. Its international express center processed 13,404 tons of cargo, rising 93.9 percent year on year.

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This release was published on openPR.