First regular China-Cuba air cargo route launched

China and Cuba officially have launched their first regularly scheduled international freight corridor.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Cuba's Transport Minister, Eduardo Rodriguez Davila, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Debora Rivas, Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Hua Xin, and senior representatives from both countries' airlines on June 25.

Built on the existing Beijing-Havana passenger service, this new air link will operate two weekly flights, each with a 20-tonne cargo capacity.

It slashes transit times for goods shipped from China from several weeks by sea to under 24 hours by air, meeting the urgent, high-value transport needs of Sino-Cuban trade.

In 2024, the direct flight from Beijing to Havana via Madrid was resumed, bringing surging flows of Chinese tourists to Cuba. A year later, cargo services were added to the same passenger route, with the use of the belly cargo space.

This has greatly facilitated the exchange of people and goods between the two countries.

Cuba hopes this cargo route will bring more opportunities for the country, so that Cuba could one day become a transshipment hub for Chinese goods in the Caribbean.