(Yicai) May 31 -- The operator of Shanghai's two major airports will deepen its collaboration with Africa's largest airline 10 years after the flag carrier of Ethiopia opened its first route from Addis Ababa to the eastern Chinese city over a decade ago.

Shanghai Airport Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Ethiopian Airlines to drive the development of passenger and cargo routes, increase belly cargo, and enrich tourists' experiences through transit services and promotions, the operator of Shanghai Pudong International Airport said to Yicai recently.

Ethiopian Airlines launched its first route from the capital city to Shanghai in March 2014. At present, the airline has recovered its number of flights to Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou to pre-pandemic levels, Aman Wole Gurmu, general manager, said to Yicai.

Passengers from Ethiopia come to Shanghai and vice versa mainly due to tourism, investment, work, and study, and cargo transport demand is steadily rising, a source at the aviation company that has four Shanghai-bound cargo routes per week said to Yicai.

Flights between China and African countries have surged to exceed pre-pandemic levels by 31 percent as of this month. The number of flights between China and Egypt has even doubled and the figure for China-Kenya flights has jumped by half. Routes to South Africa and Algeria are back to normal.

Last November, China Eastern Airlines opened a direct route between Shanghai and Cairo in Egypt while China Southern Airlines added more trips between Guangzhou and Kenya's Nairobi.

Economic and cultural exchanges and China's Belt and Road Initiative support enlarging passenger flows between China and Africa, an insider said. However, airlines need to reach a certain level of frequency and a network of destinations to make a profit, the person added.

Editors: Zhang Yushuo, Emmi Laine