Xiamen builds international air cargo hub

Workers transport goods from an international flight to domestic one at Xiamen airport. [Photo/ Xiamen Iport Group]

On Feb 27, a shipment of lobsters from Santiago, Chile, was transferred from an international flight to domestic one at Xiamen airport in Xiamen city, Southeast China's Fujian province, headed to its final destination in Shanghai.

This marked the first time that the airport has handled the transfer of fresh cargo from an international to a domestic flight since the opening of the BRICS "Xiamen-Sao Paulo-Santiago-Xiamen" air freight route.

The entire travel time took only 48 hours, with a brief stopover at Xiamen airport, achieving a high lobster survival rate of 93 percent. This showcases the capabilities and potential of Xiamen airport in handling the transfer of fresh goods.

Since its launch, this BRICS air freight route has met the growing demand for cross-border e-commerce exports from BRICS countries, as well as driven the growth of imported fresh seafood and aquatic products.

After completing customs clearance at Xiamen airport, fresh salmon as well as a variety of fresh fruits from South American countries are not only supplied to the local market in Xiamen, but also distributed to Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing.

In recent years, Xiamen airport has enhanced its air cargo transportation to build itself into an international air cargo hub. In 2023, it achieved a cumulative cargo throughput of 314,400 metric tons, and it currently operates 46 domestic and international all-cargo flights every week.