Ethiopian Airlines, Air Djibouti partner for China-Africa sea to air transport

Published: March 12,2022

Ethiopia’s national air carrier, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) announced on Tuesday it has partnered with Air Djibouti and Djibouti Industrial Park Operation (IDIPO) to commence sea-air multimodal transportation.

In a press statement, ET disclosed the agreement will see cargo being transported from Chinese destinations to Djibouti Free Zone by sea and then uplifted by air from Djibouti International Airport. 

ET further disclosed the joint collaboration which will save both time and energy logistically, will also boost the growth of the cargo market in Africa. “The transportation deal enables traders to order their products from China to Africa via Djibouti port and ET facilitates the air movement of goods to different parts of Africa through its vast network,” ET further disclosed.  The air cargo mainly consisted of electronics and home appliance supplies. 

Landlocked Ethiopia’s main sea outlet, Djibouti port, is currently serving as the main cargo logistics operation hub for the sea-air freight flight operations between destinations in China and the African continent. The Ethiopian government has identified the transport and logistics sector as a game changer to maintain the east African country’s economic growth trajectory. It has also recently developed a 10-year transport sector development plan, which envisages construction of many road and rail projects. 

Xinhua