Volga-Dnepr Group's AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) operated its first new service flight for Cainiao from Hong Kong to Madrid, while also providing capacity on the way back from Spain.
The service is started in partnership with Cainiao Network (Cainiao), following the growing demand for e-commerce shipments from China to Europe.
On July 14, ABC’s Boeing 747 freighter carried over 100 tonnes of parcels, all of which contained high-tech products and consumer goods exporting from the sellers on AliExpress e-commerce platform. Starting from weekly frequency, the flights will be gradually increased to three in August.
Apart from that, the flight will be operated via Liege (Belgium) that has been another popular e-commerce destination within VDG’s network.
The parcels will be quickly distributed all over Europe after arriving in Liege and Madrid, through Cainiao’s network of trucking and terminal distribution in Europe, ensuring the delivery timeframes of the whole process from China to Europe are kept within 10 days.
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Madrid will complement existing ABC Northern destinations in Spain, Zaragoza, while offering the options to deliver to Southern and Central Spain from the Hong Kong catchment area.
Tatyana Arslanova, Executive Operating Officer, Volga-Dnepr Group said: “ Starting from An-124-100, we have then begun operating other freighters within the Group for Cainiao to guarantee a greater choice and convenience through our CargoSupermarket concept.
"e-Commerce volumes have tripled within the Group for the first five months of 2020 and reached the level of 20,000 tonnes.”
William Xiong, Cainiao's Chief Strategist and General Manager of Export Logistics said: “This year, Cainiao plans to launch 1260 chartered flights to safeguard cross-border logistics and help Chinese merchants sell globally.”
The new route will support cross-border deliveries, which have been booming for the last years and intensified during the Covid-19 lockdown period when consumers refocused from offline to online shopping.
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