(Photo by Hinews)

At the beginning of the New Year, Hainan implemented a new air freight development policy which aims to speed the island’s opening up and create an extensive global cargo transportation network. The Office of the Working Group for Opening Air Rights in Hainan Province recently issued 20 specific measures focused on enhancing the capacity of air cargo transportation, developing airport economy related industries, and improving supporting policies. These measures are designed to accelerate the high-quality development of aviation logistics in the Hainan Free Trade Port.

The new measures call for a relatively complete air cargo transportation guarantee system to be established by the end of 2025, with the total cargo throughput of all airports in Hainan reaching 320,000 tons and ten or more international cargo routes and a total international cargo throughput of over 25,000 tons. By the end of 2027, the total cargo throughput of all airports in Hainan is expected to reach 350,000 tons, with 12 or more international cargo routes and a total international cargo throughput of over 28,000 tons.

Hainan will systematically promote the development of air passenger and cargo hubs as well as differentiated airport functionality throughout the province. Haikou Meilan Airport is positioned as the main regional air hub in Hainan, offering both passenger and cargo services as well as easy access to route networks. Sanya Phoenix Airport is positioned as a secondary regional air hub, mainly providing passenger services but also developing further cargo service capacity. Sanya Phoenix Airport is working towards becoming a national logistics hub and accelerating an expansion and renovation project which is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2025. Qionghai Boao Airport is positioned as an important regional airport, strengthening cargo services as well as providing support for business jets in Hainan. The airport will accelerate the current expansion project, which is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2025. Dongfang Airport will be positioned as a regional, cargo-focused airport, with plans to start construction in 2025.

To build an interlinked domestic and international route network, Hainan will make full use of open air rights and policy advantages, supporting airlines as they open and restore international routes according to market demand. Hainan encourages companies to combine the island's 59 country visa-free policy with the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and major international market demands. The province will work to stabilize the operation of current overseas routes while also opening and increasing the frequency of international passenger routes between Hainan and RCEP countries, Belt and Road Initiative countries, and the 59 visa-free countries, improving the airline network and forming an air transportation network covering Northeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, West Asia, South Asia, Europe, the Americas, and other regions. Hainan will work to develop air freight routes over the next year, opening all-cargo routes to Budapest, Warsaw, Amsterdam, London, and other cities, developing a cargo route network connecting Haikou with major e-commerce destinations in Europe, and opening all-cargo routes to Australia, New Zealand, West Asia, and Southeast Asia as needed to enhance the city's capacity as an air cargo hub.