Shijiazhuang Airport opened its first regular cargo route to Ostrava, Czech Republic, as reported on July 25.

　　As the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, Ostrava has a strong cargo handling capacity and a land transport network covering most of Europe. The first flight has set sail with 45.21 tons of cargo, and the route is projected to have two flights per week. In addition, the opening of the new air route will also help promote trade in goods between Shijiazhuang airport and central and eastern Europe.

　　Last year, the import and export volume between China and the Czech Republic reached $29.3 billion, up 2.3 per cent year-on-year. Among them, China's export volume to the Czech Republic accounts for 91.46 per cent of the bilateral trade volume. To continuously expand the Chinese market, the Czech Republic is actively participating in the third China International Import Expo.

　　The cargo volume of all planes at Shijiazhuang Airport has climbed to 9,635.9 tons, a year-on-year increase of 84.04 per cent. Shijiazhuang Airport will also open several new international cargo routes to destinations including Los Angeles in the United States, Osaka in Japan and Seoul in South Korea.