Xiamen Airlines Launches Direct African Route on Nov 28, 2026

Xiamen Airlines is poised to launch its first direct service to Africa on November 28, 2026. The airline will operate a weekly seasonal route between Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport and Addis Ababa Bole International Airport using Boeing 787-8 aircraft until February 28, 2027.

The new service marks the carrier's entry into Africa and expands Addis Ababa's position as a major aviation hub connecting mainland China with the continent. With this addition, Ethiopian Airlines' home airport secures direct passenger and cargo connections to six Chinese metropolitan centers: Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and two other cities through Changsha.

Data from BirrMetrics reveals that while only 267 passengers traveled directly between Xiamen and Addis Ababa in 2025, the same year saw approximately 24,300 passengers traveling between Xiamen and various African destinations. The new route will rely on Bole International Airport's extensive inter-line hub infrastructure to aggregate connecting passengers from across its domestic network.

Xiamen Airlines' expansion into Africa comes as part of a broader international growth strategy. The airline increased its global seat capacity by 7.6 percent year-over-year during the summer 2026 schedule, reaching 3.86 million seats worldwide before scaling winter 2026-2027 international capacity by an additional 9.2 percent to roughly 3 million seats.