Hangzhou broadens air cargo network to drive foreign trade growth

Hangzhou, in east China’s Zhejiang Province and home to the country’s first cross-border e-commerce pilot zone, is expanding its air cargo network to accelerate foreign trade growth. As a key hub for domestic e-commerce exports, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is recording surging freight volumes, fuelled by the rapid rise of e-commerce-driven logistics.

At the airport’s international terminal, over 100 tonnes of goods are readied for shipment to Derby, UK, reflecting the sector’s push for faster delivery—five days to global markets and next-day service to neighbouring countries.

This year, the airport has added dedicated cargo routes to Tokyo (Japan), Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and Ostrava (Czech Republic), bolstering export capacity. To further optimise route efficiency, customs authorities have rolled out multiple air-to-air transfer models, including international-to-domestic and international-to-international links.

In the year to date, the airport has handled more than 110,000 tonnes of imports and exports, with cross-border e-commerce accounting for over 70% of outbound air freight, firmly establishing it as a key driver of Hangzhou’s foreign trade expansion.