New cargo airline takes off at Yangzhou airport

An all-cargo plane of SF Airlines Co Ltd, the aviation branch of China's express giant SF Express Co Ltd, taxis on the runway at Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport. [Photo/yznews.com.cn]

An all-cargo plane loaded with 10 tons of Yangzhou hairy crabs took off at Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport on Sept 18 to Changchun, Liaoning province, marking the debut of a cargo airline at the airport.

With the season for hairy crabs approaching, all-cargo planes of SF Airlines Co Ltd, the aviation branch of China's express giant SF Express Co Ltd, were loaded up at the airport for the first time, to boost the outbound sales of Yangzhou hairy crabs.

The Boeing 717 all-cargo plane, with a capacity of 14 tons, flies between Yangzhou and Changchun once a day from Tuesday to Saturday, with the flight taking around two hours.

The flight schedule of the cargo plane is arranged for the early mornings, making full use of the fact that the airport is less busy at this time.

Workers load Yangzhou hairy crabs on the plane in the early morning. [Photo/yznews.com.cn]

"It is very common for cargo to be carried by passenger planes but they are limited by the flight schedule, which greatly affects the timeliness. Moreover, the capacity is also limited as a passenger plane can only carry one to two tons of cargo," said Wang Dongsheng, general manager of Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport.

Wang said the launch of the new cargo airline is a breakthrough for the airport and will promote the development of aviation logistics in Yangzhou and Taizhou.

It is expected that Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport will further strengthen its cooperation with SF Express Co Ltd to establish an important passenger and cargo hub for the central area of Jiangsu province in the near future.