On 17 July, as Ezhou Huahu International Airport marked its third anniversary, it had already established itself as one of China’s leading air cargo hubs. According to Hubei International Logistics Airport Co., Ltd., the airport handled 249,000 tons of international cargo and mail in the first half of 2025, a 261% surge from the same period in 2024, and operated nearly 6,500 international and regional flights, a 333% year-on-year increase. By 17 July, the airport had handled more than 60,000 cargo flights in total, with cumulative cargo and mail throughput exceeding 2 million tons.
Ezhou Huahu International Airport now operates 45 international and regional cargo routes, the most extensive network in central China. It also serves 59 domestic routes that reach 54 destinations across every provincial-level region in the country, giving it the widest domestic coverage nationwide. The airport has built an efficient logistics network that enables overnight delivery across China and next-day access to major global markets, making it a key hub on the “Air Silk Road” that connects international trade routes. Its first overseas warehouse, located in Milan, is already in operation and has drawn 16 international cargo carriers, including Atlas Air, Etihad Cargo, and Maersk.
Strategically located in central China, Ezhou Huahu International Airport is within a 1.5-hour flight of regions accounting for 90 percent of the country’s economic output, and just eight hours from most major global markets. This geographic advantage enables the fast movement of high-value and time-sensitive goods. For example, cherries flown directly from Chile can reach domestic markets within hours of landing. During summer, the “lychee air route” carries around two million fresh lychees each day, while other perishables such as cherries, waxberries, imported durians, and salmon move efficiently through the airport’s growing logistics network.
The airport’s rapid development has also significantly boosted the growth of an industrial cluster around it. Within just two months of opening, the Ezhou Airport Comprehensive Bonded Zone, which also serves as a pilot area for cross-border e-commerce, has already shown promising results, with 46 enterprises having signed agreements to settle in the zone and a total of 140 companies officially registered there. Over the past three years, 225 aviation-related projects, each valued at over RMB 100 million, have been launched in the area. Twenty-five advanced manufacturing projects, including Inforeman Nanomaterials and Demark Semiconductor, are moving forward quickly. Biopharmaceutical firms are also building international supply chain hubs, while Zhongshi (Hubei) International Logistics Co., Ltd. is making steady progress on its international cargo terminal with a concrete investment of RMB 200 million.
To keep up with the rapid growth in cargo volumes, customs clearance procedures have been continuously streamlined, boosting overall efficiency by more than 30% on average. Backed by more than 100 cargo routes and a cross-border e-commerce network, and supported by a highly efficient bonded logistics centre, some shipments can now clear customs in as little as 15 minutes.
Ezhou Huahu International Airport is quickly becoming a major hub for global trade, providing a faster and more efficient gateway for Chinese-made goods to reach international markets.
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