New air cargo route slashes cost of logistics

The first dedicated air cargo route linking Urumqi, a key aviation hub in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, with Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland and a major international financial center, officially commenced operations earlier this month.

The route is scheduled to be operated with one return flight per week, with a technical stop in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for refueling.

As a milestone in the Belt and Road Initiative's aerial corridor development, this jointly operated route by Xinjiang-based supply chain enterprises and a European aviation logistics consortium establishes direct air cargo connectivity between northwestern China and Europe's economic heartland for the first time.

The launch of this new route is a major boon for cross-border e-commerce enterprises like ours," said Feng Liang, general manager of Xinjiang Wanshengtong Supply Chain Management Co.

"Previously, transporting goods to Central European countries required multiple transits, was time-consuming, and posed relatively high transportation risks. The launch of this route has enhanced transportation efficiency and reduced logistics costs," Feng said.

Zhao Beijing, director of the Customs supervision section at Urumqi Tianshan International Airport, said, "We have continuously optimized regulatory procedures to guarantee 24/7 appointment-based clearance services, ensuring rapid and efficient cargo inspection and release."

Zhang Jing, an associate professor at Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, said that the route's launch not only reshapes Eurasia's logistics landscape, but also strategically empowers western China's economic openness through point-to-point air cargo capabilities, injecting momentum into the nation's dual-circulation development paradigm.

"As the inaugural freighter ascends into the skies, this modern aerial trade artery heralds a transformative chapter in global supply chain dynamics," she said.

"Beyond freight manifests and economic metrics, this air corridor carries the DNA of the ancient Silk Road, a living testament to how trade routes inherently become cultural conduits. When Swiss goods meet Xinjiang's products in the same cargo hold, we're witnessing a 21st-century dialogue of civilizations powered by logistics innovation," she said, adding that "every Uzbek-refueled flight to Zurich "isn't just moving goods, it's transplanting China's western development ethos into Europe's consciousness. The cold-chain arriving in European supermarkets subtly redefines the "made in China" narratives, while European art exhibitions airlifted to Xinjiang museums dismantle perceptual barriers.

Xu Linchuan, a researcher in the department of economics at The London School of Economics and Political Science, said: "As China and Europe are each other's second-largest trading partners, the launch of this freight route will further facilitate the flow of goods between the two sides, reduce transportation costs and yield output gains for both parties.

"For exporters of time-sensitive goods and services such as electronics and pharmaceuticals, the freight route reduces logistics costs and inventory risks.

"For Xinjiang's agri-food and textile producers, it provides a premium channel into the European market. Likewise, the high valued-added European products such as precision machinery and luxury goods can reach Chinese consumers without detouring through the existing congested gateways," he said.