Ethiopian Airlines will launch a three times weekly flight between Addis Ababa and Durban on December 16th.

The launch will be airline’s third destination in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Durban is the second largest metropolitan city and the second most important manufacturing hub in South Africa.

It is also one of the main tourism destinations in Africa because of the city’s warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches.

Durban is an important gateway into South Africa; the new service will offer passengers more choice and flexibility and facilitate trade, investment, and tourism ties between Ethiopia and South Africa.

Ethiopian Group chief executive, Tewolde Gebremariam, said: “As a Pan-African airline working to bring Africa together and closer to the world, we are very pleased to spread our wings to our third destination in South Africa.

“The new Durban service will give our customers more and convenient connectivity options when traveling both within and to and from the continent.

“We will continue to expand our reach within Africa with a view to supporting the continent’s socio-economic integration and development.”

Ethiopian is a global Pan-African carrier currently serving more than 91 international destinations across five continents with over 200 daily flights using the latest technology aircraft such as the B777s and B787s Dreamliner with an average fleet age of five years.