A Boeing 757 lands at Ezhou Huahu Airport on Jan 21, marking the opening of a new air cargo route between Ezhou and Moscow. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

On the morning of Jan 21, a Boeing 757 aircraft took off from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, and smoothly landed at Ezhou Huahu Airport, Central China's Hubei province, carrying 30 metric tons of general cargo. Four hours later, it returned to Moscow, marking the official opening of the cargo route.

It was the first international cargo route from Ezhou Huahu Airport to Eastern Europe, and is scheduled to operate one to two flights per week, primarily transporting general cargo.

Russia's e-commerce transaction volume grew by over 30 percent year-on-year in 2022, and continued to maintain strong development momentum in 2023. The opening of the new route strengthens the connectivity between Central China and Russia, thus promoting the integration of cross-border e-commerce platforms between the two countries. It also drives the diversified development of the regional air economy.

Currently, Ezhou Huahu Airport has 12 international cargo routes in operation, laying the foundation for an air network layout that covers Europe, North America, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia.