MACAO -- Ethiopian Airlines' freighter B777F (Flight ET3483) departed from Macao International Airport on Thursday morning, marking the official launch of the "Macao-Madrid" cargo charter route.

According to the schedule, the new cargo route will initially operate twice a week.

The airline told the press that the main exports include e-commerce items such as toys, small appliances, furniture, electronics, auto parts, apparel, and cosmetics.

The new route was projected to bring over 20,000 tons of cross-border cargo throughput to Macao annually.

The representative of Macao International Airport expressed hope that the new route will create greater opportunities for trade and economic exchanges among the Greater Bay Area, Europe, and South America.

Ethiopian Airlines has launched cargo routes in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. Its country director for China, Aman Wole Gurmu, expressed excitement about the new route, noting its potential to strengthen collaboration with e-commerce supply chains in the Greater Bay Area.