The charter flights will be offered twice a week with a Boeing 777-200 ER.

A source from TAAG said that, if the route was profitable and the reaction to flights favourable, the airline would make the flights scheduled.

Last year the Angolan authorities issued over 22,000 visas to Chinese citizens travelling to Angola.

The new route was announced at the same time as Taag suspended its flights to Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, and Pointe Noire, in the Congo.

Taag is currently banned from flying in European airspace due to safety issues.

In November the Angolan government sacked teh company’s board of directors and announced the creation of a new airline to replace Taag.

Taag’s losses in 2007 were in excess of US$70 million and the airline was 122nd of a list of 124 international airlines.

Lufthansa, British Airways, Brussels Air, Air France, TAP – Air Portugal and South African Airways (SAA) fly to Angola weekly.