A Boeing 738 freighter carrying approximately 19.3 tons of cross-border e-commerce goods took off from Zhuhai Jinwan Airport, destined for Clark in the Philippines on January 18. This marks the launch of the "Zhuhai-Clark" international air cargo route, the second regular freight route operating from Zhuhai Airport's International Air Cargo Terminal and its first dedicated specifically to serving the cross-border e-commerce sector.
Operated by JD Airlines with six scheduled flights weekly using Boeing 738 aircraft, the new route primarily transports export e-commerce goods from the southern region of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It provides stable and efficient air logistics support for major e-commerce platforms such as Shein and PDD.
The route enables "same-day delivery" for cross-border shipments to the Philippines. Goods from e-commerce warehouses in the Pearl River Delta are cleared at the Zhuhai Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Logistics Park, transferred to the Zhuhai Airport International Air Cargo Terminal, and after security checks, are flown directly to Clark within just two hours. The entire process is completed within 24 hours.
Compared to using inland airports for export, this new route is estimated to save 12-24 hours in logistics time and reduce overall costs by about 20 percent, while minimizing risks associated with transfer delays and cargo damage.
Clark is a vital logistics hub, free trade zone center in the Philippines, and a key distribution point for Southeast Asian e-commerce. As Zhuhai Airport's first Southeast Asian destination, its proximity to the Manila economic circle provides access to an online consumer base of 60 million in the Philippines.
Together with the "Zhuhai-Delhi" route, which has been operating since November 13, 2025, with four weekly flights, the terminal's regular freight flight frequency has now increased to ten flights per week.
Approved for operation in August 2025, the Zhuhai Airport International Air Cargo Terminal is the only open international air cargo terminal on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary. It currently has an annual handling capacity of 150,000 tons and can accommodate large wide-body freighters like the B777F and A330.
Looking ahead, the terminal plans to increase the frequency of the Delhi route from four to six flights per week within 2026 and launch new routes to other Southeast Asian hubs like Manila and Kuala Lumpur. The goal is to exceed 20 scheduled cargo flights weekly, working towards building a "4-hour" air logistics circle in Southeast Asia.
Author | Jiang Chang
Photo | Zhuhai Jinwan
Editor | Huang Qini, James Campion, Shen He
