Volga-Dnepr Group (VDG), together with its strategic partner, CargoLogicAir, continues to expand its partnership with Cainiao Network (a logistics affiliate of Alibaba Group) to pursue the growing demand for e-commerce shipments.
On July 14, AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), part of VDG, operated its first flight for Cainiao from Hong Kong to Madrid, Spain, while also providing capacity on the way back from Spain.
According to VDG, ABC’s Boeing 747 freighter carried over 100 tonnes of parcels, all of which contained high-tech products and consumer goods exporting from the sellers on AliExpress e-commerce platform.
Starting weekly, the flights will be gradually increased to three in August. . The parcels will be quickly distributed all over Europe after arriving in Liege and Madrid, through Cainiao’s network of trucking and terminal distribution in Europe, ensuring the delivery timeframes of the whole process from China to Europe are kept within 10 days.
“Since 2018, we have been closely working with Cainiao Network to develop fast, flexible, and cost-efficient solutions. This included expansion of our network, realignment of commercial and operational issues, choice of the most appropriate freighter type, and introduction of digital solutions. Starting from An-124-100, we have then begun operating other freighters within the Group for Cainiao to guarantee a greater choice and convenience through our CargoSupermarket concept. We will further support Cainiao with the fleet of best-in-class 39 freighters to accommodate e-commerce volumes, which have tripled within the Group for the first five months of 2020 and reached the level of 20,000 tons,” highlighted Tatyana Arslanova, Executive Operating Officer, Volga-Dnepr Group.
William Xiong, Cainiao’s Chief Strategist and General Manager of Export Logistics says “This year, Cainiao plans to launch 1260 chartered flights to safeguard cross-border logistics and help Chinese merchants sell globally.”
The new route will support cross-border deliveries, which have been booming for the last years and intensified during the Covid-19 lockdown period when consumers refocused from offline to online shopping.
