At 00:39 on July 1, SF Airlines' B737-300 all-cargo aircraft from Kunming touched down at Ezhou Huahu Airport. The airport received the flight with the utmost hospitality—water salute in the civil aviation industry. This momentous occasion not only marks the inauguration of the Kunming-Ezhou cargo route but also signifies the official commencement of SF Airlines' cargo transfer at Ezhou Huahu Airport. Sun Bing, the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, along with Yang Jing, a member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, witnessed the unloading of the first batch of cargo.
With the aim of accelerating the establishment of a world-class air cargo hub and fostering Hubei Province's role as a pioneer zone for the country's new development pattern, Ezhou Huahu Airport has officially commenced the comprehensive cargo transfer starting from July. This strategic endeavor is being executed in a phased manner, ensuring smooth, well-organized, safe and efficient flight operations. Notably, in addition to the Kunming route, cargo routes from cities such as Beijing, Quanzhou and Dalian were also opened simultaneously in the early hours of the same day. The transfer process is anticipated to span three months. Upon completion, Ezhou Huahu Airport will boast more than 40 domestic cargo routes, encompassing a significant portion of North China, East China and South China.
In July 2022, Ezhou Huahu Airport, being the first dedicated cargo airport in China, commenced its official operations. Presently, the airport boasts 14 domestic passenger routes and 5 international cargo routes, connecting regions across Asia, America and Europe. The recent initiation of the transfer work for domestic cargo routes marks a significant advancement in Ezhou Huahu Airport's cargo transportation capabilities, propelling the airport's construction and operation into a new stage of development. Prior to this milestone, Ezhou Huahu Airport diligently collaborated with various resident units to devise specialized plans, reinforce training programmes and conduct rigorous drills, thereby establishing a strong groundwork for the phased transfer.
City leaders Yin Bin and Fang Yong, along with Xiong Xinwen, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Hubei Airports Group, Luo Guowei, Party Secretary and President of Hubei International Logistics Airport Co., Ltd., Deng Shangxin, Vice President of SF Group and the director of SF Airlines' logistics hub at Ezhou Huahu Airport, Li Sheng, Vice President of SF Group, Chairman of SF Airlines, and Zhang Hao, the director of SF Airlines' logistics hub at Hubei, were present at the event.