Recently, a shipment of machine parts manufactured in the Yangtze River Delta region was airlifted from Hangzhou to Haikou Meilan International Airport, where it was quickly transferred via an 'air-to-air transshipment' mode and then transported to Singapore on an international cargo flight.

Haikou Meilan International Airport. Photo courtesy of Haikou Jiangdong New Area Administration Bureau

The air-to-air transshipment' model refers to a transportation mode in which air cargo, under customs supervision, is transported via two or more connecting flights to its final destination. This model not only increases flight capacity but also enables the flow of goods between destinations without direct flights, making it a key tool for the Hainan Free Trade Port in its pivotal role as a gateway hub.

According to Haikou Customs, over the first 11 months of 2025, Hainan ports transported a total of 6,763 tons of goods that were transferred from domestic to international routes via air-to-air transshipment. Since the start of 2025, air-to-air transshipment cargo has included products in a wide range of categories including including fresh and cold chain products, daily necessities, industrial equipment, and high-value products. International transshipment volume accounts for 91% of the total, with goods mainly flowing to eight major international air cargo hubs around the world, including Auckland, Dubai, Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, and Russia via seven international cargo routes.

To support this business development, Haikou Meilan Airport Customs has implemented a number of convenient customs clearance measures including advance declaration, two-step declaration, and direct pick-up from the tarmac, further optimizing port customs clearance procedures. An ‘airside direct channel’ was also opened at the airport to shorten the transshipment distance between domestic and international cargo areas and improve cargo flow efficiency. A 24/7 appointment-based customs clearance service has also been implemented, breaking through time constraints and responding to the all-weather cross-border trade operation needs of the FTP.

In the future, customs will continue to improve the inter-connectivity of logistics data and the efficiency of cargo clearance, help reduce overall logistics costs, and further optimize the service capabilities of the Hainan International Air Logistics Port through intelligent supervision models.