Hangzhou, May 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — At 13:00 on May 27, 2015, a Zhejiang Loong Air B737-300F cargo aircraft took off fully loaded from Kunming Changshui International Airport bound for Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, marking the official launch of the first international cargo route by Zhejiang Loong Air.This route has also become the first regular international cargo route originating from Yunnan.
Loong Air launches its first international cargo route from Kunming to Dhaka
Kunming—The regular international cargo route between Kunming and Dhaka is jointly launched by Zhejiang Loong Air and Shanghai Runqing Logistics Co., Ltd. The outbound flight number is GJ8703, departing Kunming at 13:00 and arriving in Dhaka at 15:35; the return flight number is GJ8704, departing Dhaka at 16:35 and arriving in Kunming at 19:00 (all times are Beijing Time), operating five flights per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Outbound cargo mainly includes high-value goods such as flowers, fabrics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, machinery, electronic products, and commercial express items, while inbound cargo primarily consists of eel, shrimp, and crab seafood. At the maiden flight ceremony, Guo Libao, Vice President of Zhejiang Loong Air, stated: “After this route is launched, it will transport 6,000 tons of cargo annually, significantly alleviating the current tight air cargo capacity and poor transportation efficiency between China and Dhaka.”
In 2014, the total bilateral trade volume between China and Bangladesh had grown from over $3 billion in 2006 to nearly $9 billion in 2014, and is expected to exceed $10 billion in 2015. China has replaced India as Bangladesh’s largest official trading partner. The opening of this route has opened up an air transport passage from Kunming to the SAARC region, and will accelerate business exchanges and trade interactions between Yunnan Province and South Asian countries, enable fast two-way transit of international cargo between Yunnan and Bangladesh, help build the “Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar” Economic Corridor, and promote the optimization and adjustment of industrial structure and economic growth.
Kunming is a vital corridor for China to access South Asian countries, located advantageously within the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, and is an important junction of the national “Belt and Road” strategy. Earlier this year,Chinese national leadersvisited Yunnan on an inspection tour and proposed developing Yunnan into a radiation center facing South and Southeast Asia. Kunming Changshui International Airport is an important gateway for external exchanges, handling 316,700 tons of cargo and mail in 2014, ranking ninth in the nation. The annual import and export value at Kunming Airport reached 9.92 billion yuan, a 16.7% increase compared to the same period last year, with import and export trade cargo volume reaching 16,000 tons, up 17.6%, and the growth rate of foreign trade exceeding the national average. Li Yinglin, Vice President of Yunnan Airport Group, said: “In the future, Yunnan Airport Group will strengthen communication and coordination with Zhejiang Loong Air, deepen strategic cooperation, and jointly promote the sustained and rapid development of civil aviation in Yunnan.”
Zhejiang Loong Air is a comprehensive air transport enterprise approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, engaged in passenger and cargo air transport services, with its main base located at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. The airline currently operates passenger routes from Hangzhou to 33 cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Kunming, Chengdu, and Xi'an, as well as cargo routes to nine cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Kunming, and Dalian. By the end of 2015, the Loong Air fleet will reach 16 aircraft. Following the launch of the Kunming–Dhaka international cargo route, the airline also plans to successively launch passenger routes from Hangzhou to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, South Korea, and Japan in the second half of 2015. The company’s passenger and cargo route network continues to expand, and its ability to serve local economic and social development will keep strengthening.—Loong Air launches its first international cargo route from Kunming to Dhaka