China opens 103 new air cargo routes, focusing on Asia and ASEAN, with direct flights to Bangkok
IndustryMacro
The Office of Commercial Affairs in Xiamen reports that China's air cargo industry in the first half of 2026 handled a total of 5.073 million tonnes of cargo and mail, up 6% year on year, continuing from 2025 when China set a record by surpassing 10.172 million tonnes of air cargo for the first time, while expanding its dedicated freighter fleet to 272 aircraft, of which 60 are long-range widebody planes. The main supporting factors came from high-tech goods and artificial intelligence systems, with China exporting 9.36 trillion yuan worth of machinery and electronic products in the first half, up 20.1% and accounting for 63.5% of total export value, while high-tech goods had an export value of 3.26 trillion yuan, growing 39%, and AI-related computing hardware had an import-export value of 5.13 trillion yuan, up 56.6%. The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing stated that as of the end of July 2026, China had opened a total of 103 new international air cargo routes, adding 229 round-trip flights per week, with the largest number heading to Asia at 51 routes, or 49.5% of all new routes, followed by Europe with 38 routes, North America with 12, Africa with 2, and South America with 1. For the Thai market, China has continuously opened direct cargo flights to Bangkok, namely Guangzhou-Bangkok with 3 flights per week, Nanning-Bangkok with 4 flights per week, and Xiamen-Bangkok with 2 flights per week, which is the first direct dedicated freighter route from Fujian province to Thailand, with outbound flights from China carrying e-commerce goods, electronics, and machinery parts, while return flights import high-value fresh fruit such as durian and mangosteen. In addition, Shanghai Pudong Airport maintained its status as the main gateway with first-half cargo and mail throughput of 2.087 million tonnes, of which 1.655 million tonnes was foreign trade cargo, up 7.8%, while Ezhou Huahu Airport opened a new international cargo warehouse, adding capacity to handle another 600,000 tonnes per year and driving cargo throughput up to 751,200 tonnes, a rise of 59.4%, with foreign trade cargo growing 138.5%. The Office of Commercial Affairs in Xiamen assesses that direct China-Thailand flight routes are an opportunity for Thai operators to export agricultural goods and fresh food, but they must compare costs, timing, and product value, since at present most Thai goods going to Fujian province still use trucks via the R12 route into Nanning and Guangzhou, or ships for industrial goods.
