BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China has been actively making efforts to set up a green channel to facilitate the air cargo transportation of anti-epidemic supplies at home and abroad, according to the State Post Bureau.
The State Post Bureau created the green channel by coordinating enterprises in the mail delivery business via multiple methods such as implementing overseas transfers, increasing charter flights and opening air routes.
These efforts are sustaining the delivery of China's domestic medical emergency supplies, daily necessities and express mail in the nationwide joint anti-epidemic fight.
Meanwhile, they represent crucial support for the international prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Major players of China's air cargo industry, such as SF Airlines, China Postal Airlines and YTO Airlines, are contributing to the anti-epidemic fight at home and abroad.
To date, SF Airlines has opened multiple new international cargo air routes and carried around 210 charter flights. From March 1 to 14, cargo flights of the airline sent 108 tonnes of medical and other supplies to 39 countries and regions.
China Postal Airlines had sent 24 charter flights with 42,000 airmail items, weighing around 292 tonnes.
Cainiao, Alibaba's logistics subsidiary, is planning to send 200 charter cargo flights to facilitate two-way logistics into and out of China, aiming to ensure anti-epidemic supplies and express mail of cross-border e-commerce.
China is cultivating its burgeoning air cargo industry. To date, SF Airlines, China Postal Airlines and YTO Airlines have seen the fleet of all-cargo freighters exceed 100, and international cargo air routes exceed 30.
China will continue to add more charter flights and open new air routes to guarantee the smooth transportation of living necessities and medical supplies, said Jin Jinghua, a senior official with the State Post Bureau.
At present, domestic- and foreign-owned international cargo flights in China total 930 per week, which is close to the level recorded before the outbreak.