Xi'an launches new fifth-freedom intl air cargo route

A B737-800F all-cargo plane took off from the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on Sept 30 and headed for Almaty, Kazakhstan.

This marked the official opening of the fifth-freedom rights cargo route between Moscow, Xi'an and Almaty, and is also the first cargo route of its kind in Shaanxi to connect countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

A fifth-freedom flight is a flight by an airline company from one country or region that, when running an international service, gets permission to make a stopover in a third country and take on additional passengers and cargo.

The new route was opened by Airport New City in the Xixian New Area in Xi'an in collaboration with civil aviation, customs, airports, and enterprises, and is operated by Atlant-Soyuz Airlines in Russia. It offers two flights a week.

Outbound goods mainly include electromechanical equipment, electronic products, and daily necessities exported to Central Asia and Russia, which are expected to further promote the development of the high-end manufacturing industry in Shaanxi.

Inbound goods include dairy products, agricultural and sideline products, and specially crafted products.

The route is expected to provide nearly 6,000 metric tons of air transport capacity for Shaanxi import and export enterprises throughout the year.

It will also shorten cargo and mail transportation time between Shaanxi, Central and West China, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe by three to five days.

Airport New City is currently cooperating with China West Airport Group to open 38 all-cargo routes, including 19 international routes covering 18 cities in 13 countries.

From January to August this year, the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport completed 277,800 tons of air cargo and mail throughput, a year-on-year growth of 27.2 percent.