A DT7695 flight, operated by the TAAG Angola Airlines, took off from the Changsha Huanghua International Airport on the evening of May 15, 2021. It marked a successful maiden flight of the Changsha-Angola passenger-to-cargo chartered plane. More than 58 tons of goods were carried, with non-medical masks making up most of the cargo.
Angola is in southwestern Africa. Its capital is Luanda. The passenger air route between Changsha and Luanda, the second Changsha-Africa route after the Changsha-Nairobi route, was approved in 2020. It is of great significance to Hunan-Africa economic and trade cooperation. The 2020 pandemic delayed the opening of the route. Under that circumstance, Changsha airport turned to focus on airfreight trade. It guided Hunan-based foreign trade enterprises to pair up with airlines and boosted passenger-to-cargo service.
The passenger-to-cargo chartered flight service, a new air freight mode, emerged in the epidemic period. In addition to cargo compartments of passenger planes, airlines make use of the passenger cabins to load cargos in a bid to cut the loss caused by grounding of passenger flights.
P2F operations have matured at the Changsha airport, said a Changsha customs official. The customs authority provides 24/7 customs clearance service for such flights, including assisting airlines to handle cargo and aircrew clearance procedures, and supervising aircrafts and cargo disinfection. These services promote Hunan's foreign trade development on the premise of safety at ports.
Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn
