As of the end of 2024, among the large cargo aircraft in service in China (such as Boeing B777 and B747 series), China Southern Logistics has 17 B777Fs, China Eastern Logistics has 14 B777Fs, Air China Cargo has 11 B777Fs and 3 B747-400Fs. SF Express has 4 B747Fs, and China Postal Airlines has 2 B777Fs. The total number of large cargo aircraft of these five companies is only 51. The high efficiency and long-range capabilities of large cargo aircraft mean that aviation enterprises can occupy a more favorable competitive position in the logistics field. Obviously, the number of 51 is far from enough. Secondly, airlines with all-cargo aircraft are still in the stage of climbing up in the expansion of international routes. Currently, SF Airlines, which has the best development, not only pays attention to the breadth of network coverage but also attaches importance to the depth of operation services. At present, SF Airlines has cumulatively navigated to more than 110 cities (including historical navigation stations), including more than 70 cities in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions, as well as more than 40 major cities in countries such as the United States, Germany, Belgium, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Although the three major airlines have a certain number of all-cargo aircraft, they still mainly rely on the cargo transportation capacity of the bellies of passenger aircraft. According to the statistics of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, from January to October 2024, the market share of Chinese companies on international routes exceeded 40%, an increase of 5.7 percentage points compared with 2019. However, in the pattern and structure of China's international air cargo transportation, nearly 60% of the market share is still occupied by foreign carriers, and the market competitiveness of China's air transportation enterprises still needs to be improved. The insufficient international competitiveness of domestic all-cargo aircraft is not only due to weak foundations and late starts, but also related to the general environment of international trade frictions to a certain extent. After the COVID-19 pandemic, developed countries in Europe and the United States successively increased tariffs and set up trade barriers for some of China's export products. Especially since the United States launched a trade war against China in 2018, Sino-US trade exchanges have decreased, international logistics demand has declined, and logistics enterprises such as shipping and freight forwarding have been impacted. For example, the cargo transportation volume on the US route has decreased, and freight rates have dropped sharply. This current trend is still continuing, and the chaos in logistics and the drastic fluctuations in freight rates have even affected the global supply chain. In this context, domestic airlines are seeking stability to avoid risks, and the development pace of all-cargo aircraft has slowed down.

The development of all-cargo aircraft is expected to enter a period of accelerated growth.

Developing the aviation logistics industry and supporting the expansion of the all-cargo aircraft fleet is of great significance for China to promote the formation of a strong domestic market, deeply participate in international division of labor and cooperation, ensure the stability of the international supply chain, serve the implementation of major national strategies, and achieve high-quality national economic development. Currently, it is indeed a relatively good time for the development of all-cargo aircraft. From the perspective of the international market, although the uncertainties of the trade barrier policies of Western countries such as the United States still have a certain impact, our country has firmly embarked on a new path of deepening opening up. At present, new products, new business forms and brands in China are accelerating their going global. Among them, the exports of electric vehicles, 3D printers, and industrial robots have achieved growth rates of 13.1%, 32.8%, and 45.2% respectively. In 2024, the import and export volume of China's cross-border e-commerce reached 2.63 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.8%, which is 1 trillion yuan more than that in 2020. The export scale of cross-border e-commerce in 2024 is expected to reach 2.95 trillion yuan, driving the air cargo demand to increase by 56% year-on-year. In addition, the in-depth implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the release of the potential of regional cooperation have also provided more opportunities for China's air cargo to expand the international market. In 2024, a total of 168 new international cargo routes were opened nationwide, and since the beginning of 2025, it has also maintained a relatively rapid development momentum. Looking at the domestic situation, on March 16, the "Special Action Plan for Boosting Consumption" was officially released. This "Plan" proposes 30 specific measures from eight aspects to specifically address the prominent contradictions and problems restricting consumption. With the release of the heavyweight action plan for boosting consumption and the continuous efforts of policies, the recovery of consumption is within sight, and the market of the consumption track will also develop better and better. In addition, the construction of professional infrastructure is also providing stronger impetus for the development of all-cargo aircraft. Ezhou Huahu Airport, the first professional cargo hub airport in Asia, has jumped from the 16th place in the country in 2023 to the first place in the central and western regions and the fifth place in the country, becoming a "dark horse" of the year, and has verified the success of the professional cargo hub model. In 2025, it is expected that Jiaxing Nanhu Airport, the first professional international cargo hub in the Yangtze River Delta, will also be put into use by the end of the year. Of course, expanding the self-owned all-cargo aircraft fleet not only has important commercial value but also is an important part of accelerating the filling of the shortfalls and weaknesses in air cargo transportation and stabilizing the industrial chain and supply chain. Behind the efforts of industry enterprises, it is also hoped that the government and policies can provide further support.

Excerpted and reprinted from Logistics Times Weekly, only for sharing purposes.