An all-cargo flight (flight number C67685) successfully landed at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport on Jan 17, marking the official opening of the all-cargo air route from Qingdao to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Ostrava, Czech Republic. The route is operated by Uzbekistan Central Asia Airlines and is the first freight route in Shandong province to reach Central Europe.

It mainly transports high-value-added goods such as automotive parts, electronic components, and industrial components. To ensure the efficiency of customs clearance, Qingdao airport and airport customs jointly launched a 24/7 appointment customs clearance service, providing dedicated security checkpoints and rapid customs clearance support to fully guarantee the efficient operation of the route.

"The reliable support offered by the Qingdao airport have brought us more opportunities for business expansion and market development," said Zhang Xiaobo, general manager of an international freight forwarding company in Shanghai. Zhang praised the airport's business environment, stating that his company will continue to strengthen cooperation with it in the future.

Ostrava, Czech Republic, as an important industrial hub in Central Europe, boasts strong transportation infrastructure, allowing goods passing through to quickly reach multiple countries in Europe. Uzbekistan, as a core node of the Belt and Road Initiative, connects Central Asia with the European market, demonstrating strong trade potential.

This new route fills the previous gap in regular freight routes from the Qingdao airport to the Middle East and Eastern Europe and offers a more convenient way to ship goods between Shandong and Europe.

Seizing the opportunities presented by Qingdao being approved as a national logistics hub with airport characteristics, the Qingdao airport is leveraging its advantages, such as comprehensive port functions and extensive flight coverage, to regularly operate international cargo routes to Japan, South Korea, the United States, Canada, and more.

Official data showed that in 2024, the airport saw a record cargo throughput of 279,000 metric tons, a 7 percent increase from 2023. 

An all-cargo flight (flight number C67685) successfully lands at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport on Jan 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]