A New International Air Logistics Channel Has Been Added! The International Cargo Port Of Zhuhai Airport Has Been Put Into Operation Today.
A new international air logistics channel has been added! The international cargo port of Zhuhai Airport has been put into operation today.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has added a new international air logistics channel. On August 27th, just after celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Special Economic Zone, Zhuhai witnessed the inauguration ceremony and the first flight of Zhuhai Airport's international cargo port. The first international cargo charter flight operated by SF Airlines, carrying 18 tons of e-commerce parcels and clothing accessories, took off directly from Zhuhai to Hanoi, Vietnam, and the entire journey only took 2 hours.
At this point, Zhuhai has successfully established an international logistics transportation corridor consisting of sea (Zhuhai Port), land (Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and its ports) and air (airport ports). It has formed a 4-hour logistics aviation circle covering Southeast Asia, marking the realization of a new pattern of "all-round connectivity" in Zhuhai's foreign trade, and officially emerging as an international air freight hub on the west bank of the Pearl River.
The National Port Management Office, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, relevant leaders from Guangdong Province and Zhuhai City, as well as Hong Kong and Macao guests, representatives of industry associations and logistics enterprises, etc., attended the opening ceremony.
First flight: 18 tons of products from western Guangdong arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam in just 2 hours.
At the ceremony on that day, representatives from the Gongbei Customs and the Zhuhai Border Inspection General Station delivered speeches to look forward to the development of aviation logistics in the Greater Bay Area. Relevant departments also presented commemorative medals to 5 airlines, logistics and cargo owner enterprises. At 10:30, leaders from all parties jointly pushed the button to start the port operation, witnessed the take-off of the first flight, and marked the entry of the port into the operation stage.
According to Wu Yongqiang, the person in charge of the Airport International Smart Logistics Park of Zhuhai Transportation Control Group, this inaugural flight route is operated by SF Airlines, connecting Zhuhai to Hanoi, Vietnam. The 18 tons of goods mainly consist of auto parts, 3C electronic products and semi-finished products, as well as shoes and clothing, etc., directly dispatched from factories in the Greater Bay Area. The flight from Zhuhai to Hanoi Vietnam takes only 2 hours.
"Goods from Zhuhai can fly south from Zhuhai, saving at least 2 hours compared to taking a detour via Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The logistics transportation cost is reduced by 10%. From declaration to release, it only takes 2 hours. The optimization of customs clearance by the customs has enabled our goods to be loaded immediately upon arrival." At the first flight site, Xue Hang Company's director in Guangzhou, Xue Jianmei, said that the opening of the international cargo port at Zhuhai Airport has effectively stimulated the development of Zhuhai's manufacturing industry and provided a new channel for the import and export of goods in western Guangdong.
Efficiency: Set new record for port opening in 6 months
"From the start of construction to the approval of opening, this port was completed in just 6 months, setting a new record for the opening of civil aviation ports in China." A relevant official from the Zhuhai Municipal Commerce Bureau stated, "With the strong support of all levels of departments, the construction process of this port was compact and efficient: it was included in the national '14th Five-Year Plan' for ports in September 2021, and the Zhuhai Municipal Committee of Finance and Economy deployed and promoted it in April 2024. In July, a special working team was established; after the official start of construction on February 7, 2025, the completion of the civil aviation professional project's final acceptance was achieved on June 18, the commissioning review was passed on July 18, and the temporary opening of the freight function was approved by the National Port Office on August 20. During this period, the newly established Zhuhai Transportation Holding Group also listed this project as the core of the 'Big Logistics' strategy and fully accelerated the construction process."
According to Yan Zhuojin, the vice general manager of Zhuhai Transportation Control Group and the chairman of Zhuhai Logistics Group, after receiving the approval from the National Port Office, Zhuhai Airport International Logistics Park Co., Ltd. fully pushed forward the first flight operation, actively contacted airlines and goods, and successfully completed the first flight within just 7 days, setting a new record for the opening of airport ports in China's civil aviation.
Building a 4-hour aviation logistics circle in Southeast Asia
As the core air cargo transportation hub on the west coast of the Greater Bay Area, the international cargo port of Zhuhai Airport is located on the west side of Terminal 1 of the airport and to the south of the cargo station of the Airport International Smart Logistics Park. It covers an area of 64,700 square meters and has a construction area of 29,500 square meters. It features a unique double-deck cargo terminal among domestic airports. The port includes five functional areas: international transit area, outbound area, customs inspection area, inbound area and crew passage. It covers the entire process of cargo collection and transportation, including receipt, storage, inspection and transfer, with a designed annual cargo handling capacity of 150,000 tons.
Yan Zhuojin stated that Zhuhai has already opened the Zhuhai Gaolan Port Area and the land border crossing of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, thereby establishing a 1-hour transportation circle within Zhuhai-Zhongshan-Jiangxi and a 2-hour transportation circle within the bay area. Now, the opening of the international cargo port at Zhuhai Airport not only fills the gap in international logistics at Zhuhai's airport, but also builds a 4-hour logistics aviation circle for Southeast Asia, enabling international cargo to be transported "from departure in the evening to arrival in the morning", and will also promote the formation of a regional aviation logistics pattern of "East having Hong Kong and Shenzhen, middle having Guangzhou and Foshan, and west having Macao and Zhuhai".
Build an international aviation transportation hub on the Pearl River West Bank
"The opening of the international cargo air route at Zhuhai Airport is a crucial step for Zhuhai to build an international air transportation hub on the west coast of Guangdong Province." A relevant official from the Zhuhai Transportation Bureau stated, "Next, Zhuhai Airport will steadily expand its international air cargo network, launch more cargo aircraft routes to Asia and across continents, and strive to achieve a cargo and mail throughput of 15,000 tons as soon as possible, facilitating the official opening of the international port. At the same time, it will actively attract base airlines and leading logistics enterprises to settle down, build a complete air cargo system, and leverage the full range of resources including sea, land, air and rail in Zhuhai to create an international air transportation hub on the west coast of Guangdong Province, which is based in the Pearl River Delta, connects Hong Kong and Macao, and radiates globally."
The opening and operation of the international cargo port at Zhuhai Airport not only adds another international air logistics channel to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, but also fills the gap of an international air cargo hub on the west bank of the Pearl River. "Mao Renhong, the president of the Guangdong Logistics Association, said, 'The operation of the international cargo port at Zhuhai Airport will provide solid support for building the international logistics corridor in the western Pearl River region, promoting high-level opening up of the Greater Bay Area, and serving the new development pattern.'"
The border inspection forces during the maiden voyage
To ensure the success of this maiden voyage, the Dounan Border Inspection Station of the Zhuhai Border Inspection General Station organized its best officers to conduct training and drills in advance, strengthened communication and coordination with airlines and other units, and continuously adjusted and optimized the duty plan. This was to guarantee the smooth completion of the mission. "We have repeatedly carried out full-process drills in the early stage. Based on the forecast information, we efficiently processed the exit formalities for the crew members and provided customs clearance guarantees for the cargo flights, fully ensuring the smooth maiden voyage of the port," said Immigration Police Xiang Sitong from the Dounan Border Inspection Station of the Zhuhai Border Inspection General Station.
"The border inspection authorities offer us the '7×24-hour on-demand inspection' fast clearance service, truly achieving 'zero waiting time', which saves us a lot of time and costs!" Captain Fang Zhijun, who was the first to carry out the outbound flight mission from Zhuhai Airport, expressed his appreciation for the high-quality border inspection service and the convenient clearance experience. To further enhance the clearance efficiency of the cargo port at Zhuhai Airport, this headquarters station collaboratively implemented the information forecast mechanism for inbound and outbound personnel, established a special task force for special operations, and provided a 24-hour on-demand inspection service, offering "zero waiting time and full-process" efficient border inspection services for the first outbound flight of this mission.
"Based on the forecast information, we handled the exit procedures for the crew members in advance and conducted thorough inspections of the cargo flights, effectively ensuring the smooth maiden voyage of the port. In the future, we will continue to enhance the convenience of port clearance, and with high-quality immigration management services, contribute to the high-level opening-up of the Greater Bay Area." The director of the border inspection department of this general station, He Caijun, introduced, "Since its establishment in May 2024, this general station has actively participated in the planning and construction of the port functional area, scientifically planned the border inspection site area, actively visited local governments, airport logistics units, etc., collected enterprise demands, coordinated and solved over 70 construction problems, collaboratively established a three-level information connection mechanism among airlines, customs declaration agencies and border inspection authorities, and launched service measures such as 'one machine, one plan' declaration and 'green channel', constantly contributing the border inspection force to building the western aviation cargo hub of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area."
