Alibaba’s Cainiao arm has charted a Georgian Airlines 767-300F for twice-weekly flights between Xi’an in China and Liege.
The inaugural flight, which left China on 5 September, carried more than 150,000 cross-border parcels, weighing some 50 tons.
Bound for countries including Germany, Spain and France, the shipments arriving at Cainiao’s e-hub at Liege receive fast customs clearance for onward delivery via an intra-Europe trucking network. Cainaio said it was a “significant step forward”.
“By expanding our airfreight capabilities, we are providing our merchants with faster and more cost-effective shipping solutions, while also ensuring that consumers receive their orders on time and with the best quality,” said William Xiong, VP.
FlightRadar had no record of a direct flight, but a Georgian Airlines 767-300F flew from Liege to Xi’an, via Tbilisi this week.
In other European news, Lufthansa Cargo has pledged to invest €600m into its hub at Frankfurt over the next six years.
Calling it a “comprehensive modernisation”, the Lufhansa Cargo Center (LCC) will continue to operate as it undergoes renovation in stages. It will see its handling facilities, storage and technology updated, as well as buildings and IT systems. It will also build a 42-metre-high warehouse, on the 55,000sq metre site. The carrier likened the work to open heart surgery as it hopes to continue without interrupting operations.
Lufthansa has announced investments in its LCC since 2013 – over the decade or so, depending on the highs and lows of the carrier’s business, developments have often stalled or been delayed.
Whether the airfreight market continues on a high, allowing this investment to continue unchecked through to 2030, remains to be seen.