Ethiopian Airlines will be launching a new direct Addis Ababa-Chengdu service on June 5, 2017, replacing its previously planned three-times-weekly Addis Ababa-Bangkok-Chengdu service that was scheduled to launch a day earlier.
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific was alerted to the news by industry website routesonline.com and searches of the carrier’s flight schedule show the new non-stop service, though departure and arrival times are not yet listed. The service will be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
According to routesonline, the new direct route will remain a three-times-weekly service, with each leg departing early morning. Flight ET636 from Bole International Airport (ADD) in Addis Ababa departs at 0010 and arrives in Chengdu (CTU) at 1440 local time. The return flight ET637 departs the following day at 0150 local time and arrives back in the Ethiopian capital at 0620.
Full details of the non-stop service are reportedly as follows (all times local):
| Flight No. | From | To | Departs | Arrives | Days |
| ET636 | ADD | CTU | 0010 | 1440 | Mon, Wed, Fri |
| ET367 | CTU | ADD | 0150 | 0620 | Tue, Thu, Sat |
While the carrier will no longer be transiting via Bangkok on its Chengdu route, a fourth weekly Addis Ababa-Bangkok-Manila flight will be introduced on June 4 this year, while an Addis Ababa-Bangkok-Jakarta three-times-weekly service will also launch on June 5.
Meanwhile, last month the African carrier announced it would also begin a direct Addis Ababa-Singapore service starting June 2, also using a B787-8 Dreamliner.
