Africa’s leading carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, has added Macao to its cargo network. The new freight service connects the SAR to the Spanish capital’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, forming an “Asia-Africa-Europe triangular logistics network,” according to a statement from Macao’s airport operator.
Set to operate twice weekly, with a combined capacity of 400 tonnes, the route underscores the airline’s “commitment to efficient, reliable, and seamless global trade,” Ethiopian Airlines said in a post on social media. The inaugural flight departed MIA for Madrid last Thursday, with a shipment including toys, electronics, furniture, auto parts, apparel and beauty products.
Macao, in turn, is reportedly set to benefit from fresh produce imports, including fruits, flowers and seafood.
On Thursday, Aman Wole Gurmu, Ethiopian Airlines’ China director, described Macao as an “important platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries” and said the new route would strengthen its role as an air logistics corridor between Europe and Asia.
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“This new route not only fills the gap in cargo transportation between Macao and Spain but also leverages the local network in Spain to link Macao with markets in Africa and South America, forming an Asia-Africa-Europe triangular logistics network,” Gurmu said.
“This will help Macao become a key hub for cross-border e-commerce exports and cargo transportation in the Greater Bay Area.”
On the same day the new route was announced, Ethiopian Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Guangdong Hengqin Macau International Airport Logistics Company. This will see the airline become one of the first to operate in the future Macau International Airport Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal, which is scheduled for completion in 2030.
Zhao Youxue, the Chinese company’s general manager, described Ethiopian Airlines as the “largest airline in Africa and the biggest air carrier between China and Africa.” Macao marks the airline’s 10th cargo destination in China.
