Chinese cities expand international air cargo networks, boosting trade, regional integration

Two Chinese cities have expanded their international freight networks by launching new air cargo services. The move will offer more efficient trade links, strengthen global logistics, and inject new vitality into regional economic integration, an industry expert said on Wednesday.  

On Wednesday, Sanya Phoenix International Airport in South China's Hainan Province announced that it had launched a new intercontinental cargo route operated by Georgian Airlines, connecting Sanya directly to Tbilisi, Georgia, and Milan, Italy.

The route, serviced by a Boeing 767-300 aircraft, is scheduled to operate one flight in its inaugural month, primarily transporting cross-border e-commerce goods with a cargo volume of 52 tons, according to a statement posted on the airport's official Sina Weibo account.

Customs officers clear the first cargo shipment through Zhuhai Airport's international cargo port in South China's Guangdong Province on August 27, 2025. Photo: VCG

The opening of this route is a milestone for Sanya airport's international cargo operations, significantly enhancing its cross-border e-commerce logistics capabilities, the statement said, hailing it as "a major breakthrough" in the airport's strategic push to expand its e-commerce business ahead of the Hainan Free Trade Port's island-wide independent customs operation, which is set to officially launch on December 18, 2025.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport has established an international cargo supervision warehouse and a cross-border e-commerce inspection center, enabling a seamless "one-stop" customs clearance process, significantly boosting cross-border logistics efficiency, the statement said.

It stressed that the new route will leverage the airport's advanced regulatory technologies and intelligent management systems, streamline customs clearance and expedite cargo transshipment for cross-border e-commerce. "This is set to lower operational costs for businesses and boost their global competitiveness," the statement noted.

"The new route is set to be a major booster for Hainan's cross-border e-commerce ecosystem," Liang Haiming, dean of the Hainan University Belt and Road Research Institute, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

By linking Hainan directly to Milan via Tbilisi, it significantly shortens transit times and enhances supply chain reliability, which is especially crucial for high-value and time-sensitive goods such as electronics, agricultural products, and pharmaceuticals, Liang said.

Also on Wednesday, a batch of electronic components cleared Gongbei Customs in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, and was shipped by air to Vietnam, marking the first cargo shipment since the temporary opening of Zhuhai Airport's international freight port, CCTV News reported.

The development signifies Zhuhai's achievement of a fully integrated "land-sea-air" logistics network for foreign trade and adds a new international air cargo channel to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to the report.

Zhuhai Airport's international cargo port received temporary approval for operation from custom authorities on August 20. Following its opening, the port is set to serve as a direct and efficient cargo corridor for the western Pearl River Delta, facilitating seamless international connectivity, according to CCTV News.

During the temporary operational period, the airport is projected to handle 15,000 tons of international cargo and mail, providing substantial support to the manufacturing and export sectors within the GBA, the report said.

These advancements underscore southern China's swift integration into global supply chains amid the country's broader push to advance high-level opening-up, particularly in the face of rising global protectionism, Liang said, adding that "it will bolster investor confidence and create new opportunities for businesses aiming to reduce costs and expand their international presence."

In recent years, China has accelerated the opening of second- and third-tier cities to international cargo flights, building resilience into the supply chain. 

(Global Times)