China to Make Regular Cargo Calls to Uzbekistan on its Brand New Homemade Aircraft

This event represents the first time Chinese-made cargo planes have flown abroad, establishing the initial international cargo air route operated by home-grown aircraft. The airplane, fully loaded with electronic products, flew from Yining County in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and was en route to Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan. With this flight, China has marked it growing capabilities in the aviation sector and its ambitions to enhance global logistics networks.

Being independently developed in accordance with international airworthiness standards, the ARJ21-700 complies with rigorous global safety and performance criteria. The establishment of a regular air route between China and Uzbekistan is poised to bolster Xinjiang’s development, facilitating more efficient delivery of Chinese goods to overseas customers through streamlined customs clearance procedures.

“The international cargo route from Xinjiang’s Yining to Uzbekistan’s Tashkent is set to start with three flights per week initially,” said Zhu Hongwu, a staff member at a freight company. This regular service is expected to significantly enhance logistical efficiency and trade connectivity between China and Central Asia.

Xinjiang’s strategic location along the Silk Road Economic Belt, a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, positions it as a critical hub for economic cooperation and connectivity among nations along the historic Silk Road. The region’s pilot free trade zone further enhances its capacity to establish an efficient air cargo network, promoting smoother and more effective international trade and logistics.