Chinese airlines are ramping up efforts to expand cargo routes. China Eastern Airlines launched a cargo flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Budapest, Hungary at 2:30 am on Monday, which will transit through Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, delivering goods to both the Middle Eastern and European markets, chinanews.com.cn reported.
It marks the launch of the fifth-freedom cargo route that connects China, the Middle East and the European market, the report said.
This cargo service is scheduled to operate three times a week, with a total flight time of approximately 17 hours.
China Eastern Airlines said that the partnership is expected to provide more cost-effective logistics solutions for its customers, help the company expand its business advantages in the Middle Eastern and African air freight markets, further explore regional trade potential and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, according to a note the company sent to the Global Times on Monday.
On October 30, Shandong Airlines launched its first Qingdao-Southeast Asia cargo route, linking Qingdao with Bangkok and going onward to Vietnam and the Philippines. The new service is expected to boost global trade, support “Shandong Manufacturing” and help local firms integrate into global supply chains, and bring fresh Southeast Asian products directly to Qingdao, according to local media reports.
SAL Logistics Services, a logistics and supply-chain solutions provider in Saudi Arabia, announced the signing of an agreement with China Cargo Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines Logistics, which is affiliated with China Eastern Airlines Group, caacnews.com reported on Monday.
The agreement aims to provide integrated ground-handling and air-freight solutions to enhance operational efficiency and facilitate shipments between the Saudi and Chinese markets, according to SAL’s press release.
The partnerships represent major steps toward enabling trade flows that benefit multiple sectors such as e-commerce and manufacturing, while helping build stable and robust global supply chains and driving regional growth, Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.
In recent years, China’s air freight network has continued to improve, and its role in bolstering the stability of industrial and supply chains is becoming increasingly significant, Wang said, adding that the expanded network will reduce transport times and costs, diversify routing options, and strengthen supply‑chain resilience.
It also reflects China’s ongoing opening‑up and efforts to support global trade, reinforcing the country’s position as a key hub for air-freight services and a gateway for regional trade, Wang said.
In the first nine months of this year, 169 new international air cargo routes were launched, adding more than 352 round-trip flights per week, according data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The cargo consists mainly of cross-border e-commerce goods, high-value-added products, automotive parts, electronics and fresh products, the Xinhua report said.
China’s cross-border e-commerce sector made history in 2024, with exports surpassing 2 trillion yuan ($278.59 billion) for the first time, according to the General Administration of Customs. The sector’s exports grew 16.9 percent year-on-year to reach 2.15 trillion yuan, while total cross-border trade hit 2.71 trillion yuan, Xinhua reported in June.