In the early hours of July 14, a Boeing 747 cargo plane from SF Airlines took off from Shenzhen Airport to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This marked the 18th new or increased international cargo route at Shenzhen Airport this year.

Shenzhen has led the nation in exports for 31 consecutive years, with trade reaching over 200 countries and regions worldwide. By mid-July, Shenzhen Airport's cargo throughput reached 934,000 tons, an increase of over 16% year-on-year. International and regional cargo amounted to 469,000 tons, up more than 21%, while domestic cargo reached 464,000 tons, growing over 11%, maintaining its leading position in the country. The number of domestic and international cargo routes has surpassed 60, providing crucial support and momentum for Shenzhen's ambition to become a globally influential logistics hub.

Since the beginning of the year, 13 airlines including Qatar Airways, Atlas Air, Uzbekistan Airways, and Lufthansa Cargo have increased their capacity at Shenzhen Airport, launching three new international cargo routes (Budapest, Kuching, Abu Dhabi) and increasing service to 15 international cargo destinations (Singapore, Madrid, Riyadh, Sydney, Chicago, Istanbul, S?o Paulo, Doha, Cincinnati, Mexico City, Clark, Manila, Tel Aviv, Ho Chi Minh City, Frankfurt). International and regional cargo destinations have now reached 38, covering five continents, 25 countries, and regions. This network enables domestic cargo from Shenzhen to be delivered within a day and international cargo to reach major Asian cities within two days and other major global cities within three days.

Data shows that Shenzhen Airport's international cargo routes currently connect 18 cities in 12 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, with a weekly cargo throughput exceeding 6,000 tons. In June, Shenzhen Airport's monthly cargo flights exceeded 3,000.

The Middle East e-commerce market, with a population of over 500 million, has become one of the fastest-growing markets globally. With the opening of the Abu Dhabi route, Shenzhen Airport now has seven cargo destinations in the Middle East, including Dubai, Sharjah, Riyadh, Doha, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, and Abu Dhabi. There are over 60 inbound and outbound flights weekly, with a cargo throughput exceeding 2,200 tons.

In the first half of the year, Shenzhen Airport launched and increased nine new cross-border e-commerce air routes, including routes to Paris, London, and Mexico City, driving a high growth rate in air freight cross-border e-commerce, which saw a year-on-year increase of 68.5%.