Ethiopian and China Southern agree on code-sharing

Ethiopian Airlines and China Southern Airlines have signed a code-sharing agreement to enhance their commercial networks between China and Africa. This partnership allows both airlines to sell seats on each other's flights using their own flight codes, offering passengers more destinations without requiring either airline to operate all connections.

Partnership benefits both airlines

For Ethiopian Airlines, the agreement improves access to Chinese destinations and expands its African market coverage. China Southern, in turn, gains more connection options for its customers traveling to Africa, enhancing its regional presence.

Travel between China and Africa is growing

According to Sabre Market Intelligence, around 2.93 million people made round-trip journeys between China and Africa in 2025, a 36% increase from 2024. However, most travelers still rely on connecting flights, with only 17.9% of the total traveling directly between the two regions.

Travel demand is diverse and growing

Travel between the two regions is driven by business, commerce, education, and tourism. This varied demand presents opportunities for airlines, provided they can offer flexible itineraries that meet the needs of travelers and accommodate connection constraints.

China Southern expands in Africa

China Southern Airlines recently launched a new route from Guangzhou, China, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with a stop in Changsha. The service runs twice a week, and the airline also operates flights to Nairobi, Kenya. In the summer of 2026, it plans to offer 159,000 round-trip seats between China and Africa, a 51.5% increase from the previous year.

Code-sharing aims to boost connectivity

The new route to Addis Ababa strengthens China Southern's position in East Africa, while the code-sharing agreement allows it to extend its commercial reach through Ethiopian Airlines' African network. The success of this partnership will depend on factors like flight availability, schedule coordination, and passenger service conditions.