A cargo flight operated by Zhongyuan Longhao Airlines departed from Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport to Seoul Incheon International Airport on September 10, marking an increase in the frequency of the Qingdao-Seoul regular cargo route. This development further solidifies Qingdao's position as Shandong's aviation cargo gateway to Northeast Asia. The route is serviced by a Boeing B737-800 freighter aircraft, with plans to operate 4-6 flights per week.

Upon the route's launch, it is expected to better accommodate the foreign trade demands of Qingdao's local specialty industries. On the import side, the airport's efficient customs clearance capabilities will reduce the transit time for perishable goods, ensuring that seafood trading companies such as Dongfang Dingxin can receive fresh aquatic products for same-day delivery, thereby preserving freshness and enriching the supply of products in the northern market. On the export side, the route primarily serves the export demands of Qingdao and its surrounding cross-border e-commerce, textile enterprises, precision electronic components, and mechanical equipment parts industries, which require small-batch, high-timeliness orders. This supports the rapid overseas shipping of local textile fabrics, garments, cross-border e-commerce, and mechanical and electronic goods, establishing an efficient two-way logistics link between China and South Korea.

To further establish the "Domestic-Qingdao-Northeast Asia" air trade corridor, Qingdao Airport has coordinated with Zhongyuan Longhao Airlines to increase the frequency of the Qingdao-Zhengzhou cargo route from one flight per week to 4-6 flights per week. Leveraging the robust cargo aggregation and distribution capabilities of Zhengzhou's central aviation cargo hub, the "Zhengzhou-Qingdao-Seoul" cross-regional air-to-air intermodal transport channel has been established. This enables cargo from the Central Plains hinterland to be quickly transshipped to South Korea via Qingdao, while imported goods from South Korea can also be centrally transshipped to the central region through Qingdao, enhancing aviation logistics coordination between Shandong and Henan and serving the cross-border logistics needs of foreign trade enterprises in the Yellow River Basin and central region.

The domestic cargo network is also expanding into more industrial hinterlands. On September 12, Qingdao Airport will launch the Qingdao-Hefei cargo route, operated by Shandong Airlines, to create an efficient air corridor for commercial circulation, cross-border e-commerce, and high-end manufacturing goods between Shandong and Anhui. Once operational, the route will further connect sources of goods in East and Central China, establishing bidirectional cargo channels for "Hefei-Qingdao-Japan/Korea" and "Qingdao-Hefei-Europe/America". This will drive hinterland cargo to gather in Qingdao, enhance the aggregation and distribution capacity of Qingdao's aviation cargo hub, and offer more convenient air transport options for industrial collaboration and foreign trade logistics between Shandong and Anhui.

Since the beginning of this year, Qingdao Airport has been making comprehensive efforts to advance the construction of the Shandong International Aviation Logistics Center, with a particular focus on developing air cargo corridors to Northeast Asia. The transported goods cover multiple categories, including e-commerce goods, general air cargo, commercial express deliveries, and fresh cold-chain products, with cargo volume growing steadily. Following the frequency increase of the Seoul route, the regular cargo routes from Qingdao to South Korea will reach over 10 flights per week, further addressing the aviation logistics gaps in cold-chain fresh products, textiles, cross-border e-commerce, and mechanical and electronic industries. This will effectively enhance the air cargo support capability for Qingdao's core market in South Korea, providing a more convenient and efficient air channel for trade between China and South Korea.

In the next phase, Qingdao Airport will continue to deepen collaboration with domestic and international airlines and logistics enterprises, continuously explore and optimize the route network, improve customs clearance support capabilities and operational service efficiency, and fully leverage the supporting role of air cargo for local industries, injecting sustained new momentum into the city's high-quality economic and social development.