According to eTurboNews, Ethiopian Airlines recently secured Fifth Freedom Rights for flights from Addis Ababa via Hong Kong to Tokyo Narita, presently the only direct connection from Japan to Africa.
The three weekly services, operated with the airline’s B787 Dreamliner, will use a dual airline code, incorporating All Nippon Airways, a fellow Star Alliance carrier. Traffic days out of Addis Ababa are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while the return services land back in Ethiopia on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday respectively.
The codeshare will add to the financial viability of the service, as additional passengers and cargo can be uplifted from Hong Kong to Tokyo and vice versa, over and above the passengers already on board out of Addis Ababa.