A worker sorts out goods at the cargo transfer center of Ezhou Huahu International Airport in Ezhou, central China's Hubei Province, July 11, 2025. Starting operation in July 2022, the airport, owning a 750,000-square meter cargo transfer center with parcel sorting lines adding up to 52 kilometers, is now running 59 domestic cargo routes in addition to 45 international routes. (Photo: Xinhua)

 
The aviation logistics branch of the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing said that in August of this year, 15 new international cargo routes were opened nationwide, adding over 30 round-trip flights per week.

The newly opened international cargo routes are primarily oriented toward Asia and Europe, of which 11 routes were to Asia, 3 to Europe.

The cargo transported are mainly cross-border e-commerce goods, high-value-added products, automotive parts, electronics, fresh products, and specialty agricultural goods.

The increase in air cargo traffic came amid the background of the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce and the expansion of overseas manufacturing.

In the first eight months of this year, a total of 152 new international air cargo routes were opened in China, adding over 300 round-trip flights per week.

According to the data released by the International Air Transport Association, global air cargo demand increased by 5.5 percent year-on-year in July. Among them, Asia-Pacific airlines saw an 11.1 percent year-on-year growth in air cargo demand, the fastest among all regions.

Chinese airlines are ramping up efforts on the cargo routes expansion. On August 21, China Southern Airlines opened a cargo aircraft departed from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to London, delivering goods to the UK market, celebrating its 10th anniversary of operation between China and the UK.

China Southern said that the airlines have transported over 200,000 tons of cargo between China and the UK, with the proportion of "Chinese brand" goods such as independently designed clothing brands, electronics, and temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals continuously increasing, reflecting the growing recognition of Chinese brands in the UK market.

From the initial three weekly belly-hold flights on passenger aircraft to 22 weekly scheduled cargo flights, China Southern has operated over 2,000 cargo flights between China and the UK, gradually weaving an efficient and dense air transport network.

The delivery giant S.F. Holding said on Friday that in the first half of 2025, the company's cross-border e-commerce logistics revenue from China to Europe doubled.

On August 27, SF Airlines operated the first international cargo flight after the international cargo port at Zhuhai airport was put into use. A B737-800 all-freighter carried 18 tons of cargo, including auto parts, 3C electronic products and accessories, shoes and clothing products, and flew to Hanoi, Vietnam.

China's cross-border e-commerce sector achieved a historic milestone in 2024, with annual exports surpassing 2 trillion yuan ($278.59 billion) for the first time, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. The sector's exports grew 16.9 percent year on year to reach 2.15 trillion yuan in 2024, while total cross-border trade volume hit 2.71 trillion yuan.

Global Times