A newly opened air cargo hub is transforming how local manufacturers and logistics providers connect with international buyers, cutting delivery times and costs significantly. The recent launch of direct cargo flights from Jiaxing Nanhu Airport is giving traditional export businesses a competitive edge they have never experienced before.

Zhang Yugen, head of Jiashan Dongnan Apparel Accessories Co., Ltd., was full of enthusiasm as he pointed at packages filled with buttons and cords in his workshop. "Previously, we had to transfer through Kunming when there were no direct flights, even when customers pushed for urgent delivery. Now, flying directly from Jiaxing Nanhu Airport, goods reach clients in just four and a half hours, reducing costs by at least 10%." Just days ago, a batch of his company's products flew from Nanhu Airport to Dhaka, Bangladesh. For Zhang, who has been exporting garment accessories for over three decades, this "transformation at the doorstep" could not have come at a better time.

Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers away, staff at Jiaxing Kaixiang Supply Chain Co., Ltd. were busy coordinating cargo space for the next batch of export goods. A manufacturing firm and a logistics service provider are both feeling the positive impact of the new hub.

As the first specialized air cargo hub in the Yangtze River Delta, Jiaxing Nanhu Airport opened its "Jiaxing-Dhaka" route on May 28, followed by the "Jiaxing-Budapest" Europe route on June 20 and the "Jiaxing-Los Angeles" North America route in July. An air freight backbone network covering South Asia, Europe, and North America is rapidly taking shape in Jiaxing.

On May 28, utilizing the airport's pre-check "outpost" function, Dongnan Apparel's 1.1 tons of buttons and cords became the first batch of goods to benefit from the new service. Zhang completed customs declaration and inspection procedures right at his doorstep, with goods shipped directly to the airport for loading. "Arriving in Dhaka in four and a half hours and delivered to customers the same day—this efficiency was unimaginable in the past." Emboldened by this "doorstep direct flight" capability, he traveled to Bangladesh in September and successfully secured five new clients. "Adding five clients this month is not just a number game; it gives us more confidence in expanding into the Southeast Asian market," Zhang said.

"The garment industry is highly seasonal. Once customers place orders, they want the accessories the next day. A one-day delay could disrupt an entire season's production schedule," Zhang explained. Previously, his goods had to be transported overland to Kunming and other cities for transfer, a process taking four to five days in total. "It's not just the time loss; more transfer points also increase the risk of cargo damage," he admitted. When flight connections were poor, delivery dates became a matter of sheer luck.

The direct routes from Jiaxing Nanhu Airport are delivering tangible competitiveness to local traditional manufacturers. Zhang's story is just one example of Jiaxing's traditional industries taking off with the help of this new airport. Textiles, apparel, luggage, hats, shoes, and household goods—items with low unit value but extreme time sensitivity—are Jiaxing's traditional strengths. In the past, these industries relied heavily on transshipment through airports in Shanghai, Hangzhou, or Ningbo, resulting in long logistics chains and slow response times. Small and medium-sized enterprises, especially those with scattered orders, often got left behind during peak seasons. Now, cargo planes taking off from Jiaxing carry the ambitions of local manufacturers, delivering their products to global customers faster and more reliably.

In the office of Jiaxing Kaixiang Supply Chain Co., Ltd., employees are rapidly typing on keyboards, staring at the cargo booking system, calculating how to consolidate scattered orders from local foreign trade companies onto these direct flights. If Zhang Yugen feels "shipments are faster," Kaixiang sees the potential for a "brand new business." This supply chain management company, rooted in Jiaxing, handles customs declaration, international freight forwarding, and warehousing. Simply put, they "run errands" for enterprises: collecting goods from factories, clearing customs, booking space, sending cargo to the airport, and delivering it to overseas customers.

The opening of international cargo routes at Jiaxing Nanhu Airport has changed Kaixiang's game. Each new route allows them to design more diverse logistics products: urgent goods via direct air freight, regular goods via consolidated air cargo, and European-bound customers can choose the Budapest route for direct access to the Central and Eastern European market. "In the past, we could only tell clients 'we'll send it for you.' Now we can say 'we'll help you choose the most cost-effective route,'" said Lyu Huinan, head of Kaixiang. She compared the old way of doing freight forwarding to "crowding onto a bus"—if you missed one, you waited for the next. Now, with their own hub, it is more like "calling a private car"—both the route and schedule are under their control.

Lyu also calculated the savings: previously, exported goods had to be transferred through Shanghai, Hangzhou, or Ningbo, incurring significant hidden costs from long-distance road transport and operations at off-site cargo stations. Direct flights from Jiaxing reduce road transport costs by around 15%, and current air freight rates in Jiaxing are also the lowest in the Yangtze River Delta. Since the airport became operational, Kaixiang's handled cargo volume and client numbers have been steadily growing.

Kaixiang's transformation illustrates how Jiaxing's logistics service industry is upgrading through the new hub. Local logistics providers are no longer just "moving goods"; they are helping enterprises calculate costs, save time, and retain customers, pivoting from mere "transportation executors" to "supply chain solution designers." The airport's rise is quietly rewriting the logic of how Jiaxing's foreign trade companies go global and reshaping the competitive landscape of the city's logistics services. "We look forward to more direct routes opening; our services can then match client needs even more precisely," Lyu said.

With 20 international cargo routes expected to open throughout the year, Jiaxing's manufacturing and logistics service providers will fly faster, more stably, and further on this increasingly dense "air silk road."