An Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight filled with medical supplies donated to Africa from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation arrives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 22, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

Ethiopian Airlines flight ET3634, loaded with 95 tonnes of cargo, took off from an airport in Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, on Sunday, marking the opening of the brand-new Shenzhen-Dubai-Addis Ababa freight route.

As the air route connects the three logistics hubs in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the frequency of the freight flight scheduled twice a week will increase according to the cargo transport demand, said the operator.

Ethiopian Airlines is Africa's largest airline. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, it had operated 35 passenger flights per week between Ethiopia and five Chinese cities, carrying more than 500,000 passengers annually.

Tilahun Alemayehu, general manager of the South China region of Ethiopian Airlines, said Shenzhen is one of China's technology innovation, commercial and logistics hubs. The airline has established a long-term strategic relationship with Cainiao, Alibaba's logistics platform. The opening of this new route will further promote the transportation of anti-epidemic materials worldwide.