First intl cargo charter flight lands in Changsha

The first air charter cargo flight arrived in Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Hunan province around 10pm on Dec 2 after a three-hour journey from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, bringing the central Chinese city fresh and live aquatic products.

The imported products, which include white shrimp, blue crab and marbled sand goby, are slated to immediately enter the Hunan market after a quick spot check and sample inspection. 

The first international air charter flight brings fresh shrimps to Changsha from Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, on Dec 2. [Photo by Wang Guangfeng/icswb.com] 

In recent years, the Changsha airport gained approval as a designated port for importing fresh and frozen aquatic products, as well as edible aquatic animals, according to the Hunan Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

Due to lack of air cargo freight services, those products until now had to be brought in on passenger airliners to meet the huge demand in the Hunan market. On peak passenger days shipments were inadequate and consumers had to forgo the delicacies.

In the past 11 months, Changsha airport received only 19.8 tons of fresh aquatic products, which by a large margin fell short of the market demand in the Central China province.

Inspectors check imported fresh aquatic products arriving in Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Central China's Hunan province, Dec 2. [Photo by Wang Guangfeng/icswb.com] 

The charter freight service will dramatically increase direct imports to Hunan province, and marks a new stage for Hunan in developing international air freight service and an airport economy. 

At present, two charter flights are operating each week, and the figure will increase to between four and six with the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb 15, 2018.

To facilitate Changsha's development of international freight services and import of fresh aquatic products, the inspection and quarantine bureau has quickened the pace of inspection and examination, according to the Director of the Hunan Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Yang Jie. 

In the future, the bureau will also support building Changsha airport into an entry point for imported fruits, improve its capabilities as a port platform, and expand its air freight business in a bid to support convenient and efficient international logistics and develop it into a regional hub for commerce and trade, said Yang.

Staff members at Hunan Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau check imported fresh aquatic products at Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Dec 2. [Photo by Wang Guangfeng/icswb.com]