The Changsha-Hahn regular freight flight was launched on June 30, 2021. It is the first direct flight connecting Changsha and Germany, and an "air bridge" of trade between central China and Europe.
Three flights will be operated every week. They will mainly carry goods with relatively high added value, including exported e-commercial commodities, epidemic prevention supplies, imported manufacturing parts, original components, articles of daily use, and wines.
Changsha and Germany have a profound trade foundation. In the first five months this year, Changsha’s trade value with Germany hit one billion CNY. “The Changsha-Hahn freight flights will facilitate Changsha’s linking with international key aviation hub cities, push forward the gathering of cross-border e-commerce in south-central China into Changsha, and boost Hunan’s advanced manufacturing to move up to the high end of the value chain,” said a manager of the Sinotrans Cross Border e-commerce Logistics Co., Ltd.
In recent years, Changsha has grasped opportunities of the reconstruction of global supply and industry chains, to build it into a national airport-oriented logistics hub city. So far, Changsha has completed its air transport layout linking with EU, ASEAN, and the United States. Nine all-cargo flight routes to Liege, Moscow, Manila, Los Angeles, New York, Osaka, Chicago, Belgrade, and Hahn were opened, or resumed. Three of these nine routes specially serve cross-border e-commerce. In the first months this year, the Changsha Huanghua International Airport had handled 92,000 tons of cargos, increasing by 55.8% over last year. International cargos reached 42,200 tons, up 128.9%.
“The opening of the Changsha-Hahn freight flight embodies Changsha’s leading role in implementing the Three Highlands and Four New Missions Strategy, and will push forward the implementation of the outcomes of the Changsha Investment Environment Promotion Conference held in Beijing on May 22, and carry out the three-year action plan of building Changsha into a highland of opening up in inland area,” said Yang Li, director of the logistics and port affairs office of the Changsha Municipal People’s Government. Next, Changsha government will focus on new development stage, follow the new development philosophy, carry out national strategy of opening up, and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. It will, based on the air routes, give full play to the leading role of the Changsha Airport Economic Demonstration Zone and the Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone, to give an impetus to the implementation of the Three Highlands and Four New Missions Strategy.
Chinese source: hunan.voc.com.cn
