From April to August 2021, the BGI's COVID-19 test laboratory helped 5.500 Chinese travelers fly safely from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

In April, the BGI, in cooperation with Ethiopia Airlines, set up the “Huo-Yan” laboratory, a COVID-19 test laboratory, at the airport for passengers flying to China. Since then, the laboratory has helped ensure that not a single flight between Ethiopia and China has been suspended for five consecutive months, making this connection the only direct flight from the African continent to China that has operated continuously during this period.

"From April 21 to August 31, the laboratory examined more than 5.500 passengers on 19 flights to China," said Chen Songheng, director of the Huo-Yan laboratory in Ethiopia. According to its own information, the laboratory can test up to 400 samples within three hours and 5.000 samples per day. Both PCR and antibody tests are offered.