China's Gansu launches international cargo flight to Central Asia

LANZHOU, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- A batch of cargo, including machine parts and fresh-cut flowers weighing 16 tonnes, has been shipped from Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport in northwest China's Gansu Province to Almaty in Kazakhstan, marking the opening of the province's first cargo flight route connecting Central Asia, according to Lanzhou customs.

Chen Mingyuan, an executive of Gansu Port Logistics Co., Ltd., said trade between Gansu and Central Asian countries is highly complementary.

With the launch of the new cargo route, the operational stability of flights between Gansu and Central Asia is poised for further improvement. Almaty will be used as a hub for commodity distribution to further expand the scope of foreign trade, according to Chen.

"The opening of this route provides an opportunity for Gansu to further enhance trade with Central Asian countries and participate in the development of the Belt and Road," said Feng Lijie, who works with the customs at Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport.

In recent years, Lanzhou has launched international air cargo routes to Bangkok, Lahore, Phnom Penh, Copenhagen and Moscow, among other destinations.