TAAG, the Angolan airline, will launch a new route between Angola and Guangzhou, China, on the 23rd of this month. Trade between the two countries reached $20.8 billion (€17.8 billion) in 2025, as announced on Tuesday (2).
Speaking to the press, the chairman of the board of directors of TAAG – Linhas Aéreas de Angola expressed great optimism about the launch of this route, which will connect António Agostinho Neto International Airport, in the province of Icolo e Bengo, with the Chinese city of Guangzhou, with high passenger traffic expected.
Clóvis Rosa noted that the Chinese community in Angola numbers 50,000 people and that many Angolans also travel to that destination to purchase goods.
In his remarks, Angolan Minister of Transport Ricardo de Abreu described this initiative as a concrete step toward deepening relations between Angola and the People’s Republic of China, countries linked by a strategic partnership built over decades.
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China is currently one of Angola’s main economic partners and one of the most important international players in investment, trade, and cooperation with Angola, according to the minister.
“In 2025, the volume of trade between the two countries stood at approximately $20.8 billion (€17.8 billion), confirming the importance of this relationship for both economies,” noted Ricardo de Abreu.
The Angolan official also noted that relations between the two countries are entering a new phase, in which cooperation has gradually shifted from focusing solely on infrastructure financing to increasingly incorporating productive investment, logistics, technology, industrialization, value chains, and business mobility.
“It is precisely in this context that this new route takes on particular importance. Because the major economic relationships of the 21st century depend increasingly on connectivity (…) on facilitating the movement of businesspeople, investors, tourists, students, knowledge, technology, and goods,” the minister noted, emphasizing that Guangzhou is one of the world’s largest industrial, commercial, and logistics hubs.
Ricardo de Abreu emphasized that TAAG is undergoing a transformation process, which involves fleet modernization, operational strengthening, improved service standards, greater management discipline, and a clear commitment to the sustainable expansion of international connectivity.
Clóvis Rosa emphasized that the flight is direct, the main reason for establishing this connection, allowing passengers from countries in the region to use TAAG and effectively realizing the “hub” concept that Angola aspires to.
The TAAG president stressed that the company’s transformation process includes the creation of new intercontinental routes, which will provide direct connections to one of China’s most important cities.
“There is significant activity in the textile and technology sectors,” Clóvis Rosa emphasized, noting that in addition to Chinese travelers, Angolans also seek out this destination to purchase various goods.
The route will launch with a weekly frequency, which will increase over time, said the TAAG president, emphasizing that the company’s challenges are tied to its transformation, which still has areas for improvement, particularly flight cancellations, and that they are working “hard” to combat this “scourge.”
