The National Development and Reform Commission recently announced an annual list of national logistics hubs. Changsha's airport-based logistic hub made the cut. 

This is the third time that Changsha has been shortlisted for the national-level logistics hub, following its previously shortlisted land port-based and production service-based logistics hubs. This has filled Changsha's gap for a national-level airport-based logistics hub.

The Changsha airport-based national logistics hub is situated in the Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone Changsha Area Airport Block, covering a total area of 7.38 square kilometers. The hub adopts a "two-zone layout with multiple-spot synergies" model, consisting of a core functional zone in the north and a complementary functional zone in the south. The Huanghua Comprehensive Bonded Zone and a logistics service cluster have been built in the hub area, attracting a number of leading logistics enterprises including China Post, SF Express, YTO Express, and ZTO Express. There are 500,000 square meters of completed and operational warehouse facilities, and an 87,000-sqm air freight depot with a cargo and parcel handling capacity of 470,000 tonnes. 

The Changsha Airport-based National Logistics Hub has innovatively established a "1+1+N" enterprise alliance which is led by the Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone Airport Industry Investment Group Co., Ltd., and participated by companies including the Hunan Airport Logistics Co., Ltd. Serving as a core air freight hub in Central China, it synergizes with the Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, Changsha Port, Yugong Port, and other existing platforms, as well as major airports in Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou, to set up a high-efficiency and smart logistics system.

Through several express models like "Single E-lock Scheme (SELS)" and "Air-High-speed Rail," the hub can reduce logistics costs for high-value-added products by over 20%. By strengthening hub connectivity, route coordination, and airport economy cooperation, it promotes the collaborative operation of an "Airport Cluster in Central China," facilitating sharing of passenger and cargo resources. Meanwhile, it links express flights to the core regions along the Yangtze River Economic Belt such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, aiming to construct efficient air corridors, boost regional cooperation, and accelerate coordinated regional development.

The Changsha airport-based hub is a vital aviation junction where the "Belt and Road" converges with the new western land-sea corridor. It operates 14 regular international passenger and freight routes, and synergizes with multiple international logistics channels such as the China-Europe Freight Train (Changsha). Through these initiatives, it has embedded itself into China's national "Corridor + Hub + Network" modern logistics framework, while enhancing logistics efficiency and reducing costs across Hunan and neighboring regions. Beyond that, the hub will further facilitate "going global" of the products and industries from Hunan and other regions in Central China, continuously broaden China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, and contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunantoday