JD launched an all-cargo charter flight between China and the UK on September 8, the e-commerce giant’s first regular cargo flight to Europe. The route further expands JD’s international transportation logistics network, in addition to the cargo flights to the U.S. and Thailand launched earlier this year.
“We are committed to leveraging JD’s global supply chain, logistics, and other infrastructure services to help boost the development of cross-border e-commerce and trade around the globe,” said Stard Huang, president of JD’s international logistics division. “We will also take the launch of this charter route as the opportunity to continuously upgrade our global logistics layout.”
The route between Hefei Xinqiao International Airport in Anhui province and Heathrow Airport in London will be operated three times a week by Air Moldova, via B747-400F. Currently, goods mainly include e-commerce products and general trade products.
By launching front warehouses in Shanghai and Shenzhen, the freight route will be able to deliver products from China’s major manufacturing regions in northern, eastern, and southern China. The flight will enable transportation to European clients in as fast as 48 hours.
At the same time, JD launched a self-operated warehouse in the UK recently, enriching its warehouse layout in Europe in addition to its warehouses in Poland and Germany. The combination of the freight route and local warehouse in the UK will enable end-to-end transportation to facilitate the fast-growing cross-border trade. The warehouse will also be open to local merchants in the UK.
According to JD Logistics’ interim results in 2021, as of June 30, JD had approximately 50 bonded warehouses and overseas warehouses, covering an aggregated gross floor area of over 500,000 square meters.
