The Hu' Lake Airport in Hubei Province Of China Has Jointly Built An Overseas Cargo Station With Etihad Airways. The International Logistics Channel Is Accelerating Its Formation.
The Hu' Lake Airport in Hubei Province of China has jointly built an overseas cargo station with Etihad Airways. The international logistics channel is accelerating its formation.
On August 7th, Ezhou Hu' Lake Airport and Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates officially launched the cooperation for the Abu Dhabi overseas cargo terminal. The focus is on expanding cross-border e-commerce, high-end manufacturing and cold chain logistics businesses. Following the operation of the Milan overseas warehouse in Italy in June, Ezhou Hu' Lake Airport is relying on key nodes such as Abu Dhabi and Milan to weave a global "airway silk road" that radiates across Asia, America, Europe and Africa, fulfilling multi-dimensional trade demands.
Opening Ceremony of the Overseas Cargo Terminal
On August 18, 2023, an ATR 42 cargo aircraft of Etihad Airways made its first landing in Ezhou, making Hu'lu Airport the first professional cargo hub in China to be occupied by an international airline. Over the past two years, the "Ezhou = Abu Dhabi" cargo route has cumulatively operated more than 550 flights, transporting a total of over 28,000 tons of goods. This route is jointly operated by SF Airlines and Etihad Airways with a 50% capacity ratio. It is expected that the frequency of this route will be increased to seven flights per week this year.
Abu Dhabi - First Flight Ceremony in Ezhou
Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. Its headquarters is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and it is the second largest airline in the country. Leveraging the synergy between Abu Dhabi's global hub and Wu Zhou's Asian core cargo hub, the two parties have established a "Wu Zhou - Abu Dhabi - Paris/Frankfurt" transfer network. Middle East imported goods can arrive in Wu Zhou the next morning, and Chinese-made products can reach Abu Dhabi in 10 hours. Stanislas Brun, the president of Etihad Cargo, stated that the infrastructure construction of Hu Lake Airport is complete, and the intelligent equipment and the location advantage covering the five major urban clusters in China provide key support for cross-border e-commerce, high-end manufacturing, and cold chain logistics, etc.
Etihad Airways cargo aircraft
The entry of Etihad has led to the gathering of 16 global cargo airlines at Hu Lake Airport. In 2024, Hu Lake Airport will launch 20 new international routes, with international cargo throughput reaching 267,000 tons. From January to July 2025, the total cargo throughput exceeded 8 million tons, an increase of 73% year-on-year. Currently, the airport has 45 international cargo routes, covering 33 countries and 48 destinations across Asia, Europe, America and Africa.
The two parties signed a memorandum in Germany.
In June 2025, the two parties signed a strategic memorandum in Germany, clearly stating that they would deepen cooperation in encrypted flights and the expansion of the network. The newly-built Abu Dhabi overseas cargo station will enhance multimodal transportation capabilities, and focus on developing e-commerce, high-end manufacturing and cold chain logistics businesses. Hualu Airport is accelerating the construction of an international first-class air cargo hub, injecting new momentum into global trade.
