On the afternoon of September 3, a batch of cargo was brought in, tallied, weighed, and load-planned before being moved to the apron at the international cargo area of Yueyang Sanhe Airport. A few hundred meters away, an all-cargo aircraft was waiting with its cargo bay open, ready for loading. Around 6 p.m., the cargo door closed, and the aircraft taxied to the runway, bound for Hanoi, Vietnam.
 
Starting that day, the three international all-cargo air routes from Yueyang to Hanoi, Dhaka, and Bangkok began fixed-schedule operations, with 15 flights planned weekly.
 
"Previously, cargo had to wait after arriving due to limited flights. Now, the flight frequency has increased. If cargo misses the flight on the day it arrives, there's always an alternative on the next day, or the day after," said Liu Ning, vice general manager of China Logistics Group Hunan Branch.
 
The regular operation of international cargo flights marks the entry into a substantive stage of Hunan's aviation logistics development strategy featuring "passenger transport in the south, freight transport in the north." It is also a strategic pivot for Yueyang to accelerate its opening-up and integrate into the domestic and international dual- circulation development pattern.

Securing Cargo: The Next Step After Fixed-schedule Operations
 
From the launch of all-cargo flight service in late May to the start of direct outbound all-cargo flights from Yueyang on September 3, it took more than three months.
 
Applying for air traffic rights, upgrading port facilities, training staff, and coordinating customs and border inspections as well as airport support procedures — over the past few months, Sanhe Airport has built the full support chain needed for stable international cargo operations. According to port officers, it now takes about three hours for a single shipment to complete the necessary procedures in the cargo terminal.

With 15 flights per week, how to ensure stable cargo sources?

Liu explained the cargo sources to reporters: There are goods from the surrounding areas of Hunan and Hubei, as well as from the Yangtze River Delta and Guangzhou, Liu explained. Relying on its nationwide logistics network, China Logistics Group consolidates air-eligible cargo sources in Yueyang, with the volume of cargo it organizes currently accounting for about 80% of the total cargo at Sanhe Airport.
 
Sufficient cargo supply is the foundation for the stable operation of international flights, while stable routes, in turn, may change the logistics paths of enterprises.
 
With denser schedules and stable cargo space, enterprises have an additional "Yueyang option" for their shipments, and will incorporate Yueyang into their supply chains.
 
From September to the end of this year, Sanhe Airport is expected to handle 7,500 tonnes of international air cargo.
 
During his visit to Yueyang earlier, Shen Yumou, secretary of the CPC Leadership Group and director of the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province, called for firm implementation of a market-oriented approach. A dedicated task force later specified that international cargo routes should be expanded based on actual demand, following a "shipper + express + hub" model.
  
With regular operations, both cargo sourcing and support capacity will rise in tandem. Yueyang will keep building up local high value-added industries suited to air transport, expand backhaul cargo channels, and continue to enhance cold chain and special cargo services.
 
Industries Must Be Retained

As a provincial sub-center city, Yueyang is traversed by the Yangtze River, with its Chenglingji Port connecting to the river and the sea, and the Beijing-Guangzhou and Haolebaoji-Ji'an railways running north-south. Combined with highway and airport resources, Yueyang is establishing a "water-rail-road-air" multimodal transport system.
 
According to Huang Tangsong, chairman of Yueyang Airport Development and Construction Co., Ltd., bulk raw materials can be shipped into Yueyang at low cost via the Yangtze River. After being processed locally for higher added value, the finished products will be exported by air as high-value, time-sensitive products.
 
Water transport features "large capacity at low cost," while air transport can meet demand for "high-value, time-sensitive" transport. The combination of these two modes relies on a strong local industrial base.
 
Previous shipments from Sanhe Airport included Yueyang-made power strips and tires, as well as crayfish from the Dongting Lake area.
 
Whether the growing air logistics capacity can draw more aviation-dependent industries will determine how much industrial growth this corridor ultimately retains.

According to a spokesperson from Yueyang Urban Operation Investment Group Co., Ltd., the city is pushing forward construction of supporting infrastructure, including a joint inspection building and cargo apron, to boost air cargo volume. Meanwhile, the preparatory work on runway extension is advancing, alongside synergistic development between air freight service and sectors such as logistics investment and the low-altitude economy.
 
"We aim not only to keep goods moving, costs down, and industrial parks busy, but also to attract and retain industries," the official said.

Hunan Is Building a Three-dimensional Opening-up Network
  
The 15th Five-Year Plan of Hunan Province calls for enhancing Yueyang Airport's air freight capacity and service quality in light of local conditions, advancing integrated development of Changsha and Yueyang under the "passenger transport in the south, and freight transport in the north" model, and building an international air logistics hub.

Yueyang is stepping up its moves along the course charted by the provincial government.
  
The CPC Yueyang Municipal Committee and the People's Government of Yueyang City are pushing ahead with the construction of an international air logistics hub, upgrading its "rail-water-road-air" multimodal network, to build the airport into a tangible economic driver.
 
Sanhe Airport's ample slots and favorable airspace offer a solid foundation for all-cargo aircraft operations. As advanced manufacturing, electronic information, and cross-border e-commerce flourish, logistics speed is playing an increasingly direct role in business operations. "For cross-border e-commerce and rush orders of spare parts, timeliness brings in orders and capital turnover," said Wu Xiaolin, deputy general manager in air freight business of China Logistics Express.
 
As Yueyang's all-cargo aircraft made its maiden flight on May 31, a batch of 3C circuit boards from Shenzhen Yuanchuang Times Technology Co., Ltd. was delivered overseas on it. "It takes over 30 days by sea, but just two days by air," said Xu Yeyou, chairman of the company, adding that "Small-lot delivery is more flexible and enables quicker response to the market."
 
With its mature aviation network, Changsha can leverage the advantages of belly-hold cargo on passenger flights, while Yueyang focuses on all-cargo operations. These two modes work in tandem, rather than simply going their separate ways. As a hub and a feeder airport respectively, they complement each other, boosting Hunan's international air freight capacity and building a more multi-dimensional opening-up network.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn