Breakthrough of a Regional Airport

Deep News
Yesterday

Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport, a 4C-level regional airport jointly built by Wuhu and Xuancheng, is located in Wuhu City and serves the population of both cities, with an annual passenger volume of less than one million. The development of small and medium airports under the siphoning effect of large regional airports poses a common dilemma. However, this medium-sized airport has carved out a niche for itself, causing a stir in the cargo market and emerging as a dark horse in the civil aviation cargo sector.

Data shows that in just four years, Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport has opened 15 cargo flight routes, including 8 international routes, with a total of 3,185 cargo flights executed, marking a year-on-year increase of 74.23%, placing it as the 20th busiest airport in China. Currently, it ranks first in Anhui Province for the number of cargo flight routes and trips, injecting strong momentum into the province's export-oriented economic development.

On the morning of October 13th, a reporter visited Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport’s control tower, revealing a brand-new airport where planes frequently take off and land over the fields nearby. Inside the international cargo terminal, a bustling scene unfolds. "We have at least four to five flights daily, totaling around 27 trips per week. With the peak season for cross-border e-commerce approaching, we expect to increase to 30 flights per week," said Zhao Xianhao, the airport’s general manager. Currently, the airport has 11 Class C parking spots, capable of handling an annual cargo throughput of 120,000 tons.

For instance, the Wuhu-Moscow flight operates four times a week and plans to increase to daily flights, with the anticipated cargo value reaching 500 million yuan this year. International cargo routes represent the most significant growth point for Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport this year, having opened five new international cargo routes to Manila, Dhaka, Cebu, and Moscow, in addition to the three routes initiated last year, forming an international air cargo network covering Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Russia.

“The efficiency and speed of services at Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport allow for 'same-day cargo, same-day flights'," stated Jiang Sheng, the East China Sales Manager of Guangzhou Yifei Aviation Service Co., which operates the Wuhu-Manila route. Since its launch in June, it has averaged five flights per week, mainly exporting e-commerce goods and general cargo, while imports consist primarily of electronic components, with a substantial supply, projecting an annual cargo value of 90 million yuan.

As the cargo flight routes continue to expand, the airport's freight volume has exploded. Statistics indicate that the airport's cargo and mail throughput rose from 476 tons in 2021 to 5,030 tons in 2022, breaking through 20,000 tons in 2023 and expected to reach 37,900 tons in 2024, marking over a 78-fold increase in just four years. So far this year, a total of 45,000 tons of cargo and mail have been processed, with expectations to surpass 70,000 tons for the year and a cargo value exceeding 3 billion yuan.

Why has this four-year-old regional airport made such significant strides? The answer can be traced back to Wuhu's collaboration with e-commerce giant JD.com. In October 2020, the Wuhu municipal government signed a strategic cooperation agreement with JD Group to jointly build a global aviation cargo hub. Subsequently, Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport was designated to fulfill the mission of becoming a professional cargo hub airport. According to the relevant plans, JD Logistics is developing domestic and international air freight operations centered on Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport, leveraging its geographical advantage in the Yangtze River Delta, proximity to high-end manufacturing and consumption areas, and its integrated traffic network to enhance its air freight services.

With joint efforts, this vision is gradually becoming a reality. JD's Operation Support manager, Xiong Qiang, stated that with its own channel and cargo source advantages, JD is accelerating its aviation transport layout. The company has already established three domestic cargo routes and one international cargo route based at Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport, with plans for a layout featuring seven incoming and seven outgoing flights by March next year. Data suggests that in 2024, JD's cargo volume at Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport will approach 10,000 tons, accounting for about one-third of the airport's total throughput.

Wuhu’s robust industrial foundation has also provided effective support for the surge in freight volumes at Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport. The airport handles exports of automotive parts from Chery, electronic components from Changxin Technology, and small appliances from Midea, which are in high demand in export markets. Chery's automotive parts alone constitute 20% of the airport's cargo volume.

Under JD's influence, the airport's logistics network is continuously expanding, currently collaborating with more than a dozen large domestic and international logistics operators to enhance its cargo organization capabilities. With support from the provincial government, Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport has transitioned from a standard civil transportation airport to a designated professional aviation cargo hub.

Policies like “Measures to Promote the Further Capacity Enhancement of Hongqiao International Open Hub” explicitly support the development of Wuhu as an aviation cargo hub, aiming to create an aviation service industry cluster serving the Yangtze River Delta. In light of this new role, Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport is positively innovating its intermodal transport model to streamline logistics chains, collaborating with Wuhu Customs, Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port, and other entities to explore efficient intermodal models such as "air-to-air transshipment" and "air-land-sea intermodal transport," providing enterprises with more convenient logistics solutions.

Through "air-to-air transshipment," goods arriving at Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport can transfer at Manila Airport before continuing to North America, Europe, and Oceania, connecting to global hubs. “Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport has also become a transshipment node in the international supply chain, showcasing its role as a professional cargo hub,” noted Zhao Xianhao.

For example, exports coming into Wuhu Xuanzhou from Dhaka can transit through Zhengzhou Airport, reducing logistics costs by about 15% compared to direct flights. Similarly, goods from Dhaka can also be transported to Shanghai Port by truck and then shipped directly to the West Coast of the United States, saving 12 days compared to traditional sea shipping. This innovative “air-land-sea intermodal” model optimizes costs and delivery timelines simultaneously.

These initiatives effectively connect major international and domestic logistics channels, with cumulative international cargo throughput reaching around 12,246 tons and a cargo value exceeding 3 billion yuan.

Air logistics on the “Silk Road” serves as a critical vessel supporting high-end industrial chains, efficient supply chains, and innovative value chains, promoting industrial restructuring, job creation, consumption growth, and regional economic development. In recent years, our province's air logistics have progressed rapidly, with the number of international all-cargo routes reaching 16 (with 8 routes from Hefei and Wuhu each), gradually forming an international cargo route network that connects to Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. From January to August this year, airports across the province processed 118,000 tons of cargo and mail, an increase of 18.4%, of which international cargo and mail throughput reached 36,000 tons, up 31.4%.

The “Anhui Province Aviation Logistics Development Plan (2023-2035)” proposes optimizing the air logistics development layout centered around Hefei and Wuhu to enhance service levels. Based on the “Action Plan for Enhancing the Capacity of Comprehensive Transportation Development in Anhui Province” released at the end of last year, there are plans to establish an airport pattern featuring "one hub, eight branches, and multiple points," aiming to operate over 20 all-cargo routes and achieve passenger and cargo capacity of 54 million and 420,000 tons annually by 2027. Currently, the expansion project of Hefei Airport is progressing rapidly, with plans for the new T2 terminal to be operational by 2026.

Upon completion of these upgrades, Hefei Airport will be upgraded to a 4F-level airport, meeting development demands for an annual passenger throughput of 40 million and cargo and mail throughput of 350,000 tons with over 305,000 aircraft-landings. The expansion project of Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport and JD's 45,000 square meter transfer center is also being implemented concurrently, which will further enhance the airport's capabilities.

“For future route development and network formation, we will focus closely on the supply chain to serve the industrial chain,” Zhao Xianhao stated. Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport plans to actively expand its multimodal transport and air-to-air transshipment services, collaborating fully with enterprises around Wuhu and Anhui to support leading companies like Chery, Dongfeng Motor, Weipai Electronics, Midea, and Changxin Technology, ensuring the stability and growth of the supply chains for industries such as automobiles, renewable energy, electronic information, electronics, and high-end clothing, striving to build an aviation logistics network system that connects China to the world and contributes to creating an “aerial Silk Road” for Anhui.

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