Cainiao Network (Cainiao), the logistics arm of Alibaba Group Holding Limited, has announced its partnership with Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (Shenzhen Airport) to establish an air cargo centre, with plans to launch more international cargo routes originating from Shenzhen.
In the announcement, Cainiao said the new flights are launched in partnership with Atlas Air and will operate twice a week, with a loading capacity of over 220 tons per flight.
Atlas Air will also provide cross-border cargo transportation services for product categories ranging from electronics to automobiles.
Cainiao said the inaugural chartered flight connecting Shenzhen, China, to São Paulo, Brazil, was officially launched last weekend at a signing ceremony attended by representatives from the Brazilian government, Shenzhen Airport, Atlas Air and Cainiao Network.
China-Latin America cross-border e-commerce growth
"The air cargo centre is established to support growing cross-border e-commerce parcel volume from China to Latin America," Cainiao said in a statement. "The facility will play a key role in streamlining and optimizing parcel sorting and customs clearance processes for import and export goods at the airport."
The air cargo centre will also leverage Cainiao's smart logistics capabilities with solutions and equipment such as Cainiao's proprietary hand-held device – LEMO PDA, digital customs clearance system and warehouse management system (WMS), it added.
Cainiao noted that goods shipped via air from Shenzhen and the Southern China region could enter the airport directly for loading onto cargo planes.
Transit goods can also be seamlessly transferred to other ports and airports via the air cargo centre.
Going forward, Cainiao said the air cargo centre would deliver a 20% to 30% increase in parcel processing efficiency and the ability to conduct 24/7 around-the-clock operations during peak seasons.
"This collaboration between Cainiao and Shenzhen Airport represents a significant milestone as we establish air cargo centres in key international airports to integrate our smart logistics technologies and global network within the value chain," said Dr Ding Hongwei, vice president of Cainiao Network.
"By tapping into Cainiao's extensive overseas logistics infrastructure and network, we will further optimize the cross-border logistics value chain in Shenzhen and more broadly in the South China region. Merchants will, in turn, benefit from more easily accessible cross-border shipping services when they sell globally," he added.
John Dietrich, president and chief executive officer of Atlas Air Worldwide, also welcomed the launch of new international cargo routes with Cainiao.
"Through deepened cooperation with Cainiao, we will be able to serve Chinese brands better as they export to the rest of the world," Dietrich added.
Data cited by Cainiao showed that Latin America's bilateral trade in goods with China grew 21.5 times from 2001 to 2020, from US$14.6 billion to US$ 315 billion.
China has since become the most important export market for South America and the second-largest trading partner for Latin America.
The announcement comes after Cainiao's recent announcement to share its three-year development roadmap for Brazil, with plans to launch nine sorting centres in seven states and 1,000 smart lockers across ten key Brazilian cities to support local-to-local and cross-border deliveries, local express and food deliveries.
