Chongqing - The inland metropolis of Chongqing has taken a major step toward becoming a leading international aviation logistics hub after the Chongqing Port and Logistics Office signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Eastern Air Logistics and Chongqing Airport Group on November 10.

The agreement marks the official launch of Eastern Air Logistics' international cargo operations in the city — a move expected to strengthen Chongqing's role in global air freight networks and cement its position as a key gateway for inland China's international trade.

Eastern Air Logistics has launched its international cargo operations in Chongqing. (Photo/Visual Chongqing)

“Chongqing is a crucial strategic hub in China’s western development, as well as a vital intersection of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt,” said Guo Lijun, chairwoman of Eastern Air Logistics. “We see Chongqing as a core strategic market and will make it one of our dual centers alongside Shanghai, driving growth from east to west.”

Guo said the company will expand its freight capacity and resources in Chongqing, establish a western operations center, and develop new international routes to support the city’s transformation into a comprehensive inland logistics and trade hub.

Yang Lin, director of the Chongqing Port and Logistics Office, said the partnership will help serve Chongqing’s “33618” modern manufacturing clusters by building a high-efficiency, end-to-end air logistics supply chain system.

Under the agreement, the three parties will expand Chongqing’s air freight network across Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. The plan aims to strengthen the city’s air cargo links with ASEAN countries and deepen connections with major logistics centers in Europe and the United States.

The initiative also seeks to promote coordinated development between the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle and other major logistics hubs, such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, creating a complementary and interconnected aviation logistics system.

Air logistics plays a crucial role in supporting Chongqing’s rapidly expanding manufacturing and export sectors, and this initiative is viewed as a concrete step toward advancing China’s high-level opening-up and supporting balanced regional development through stronger international logistics capacity.

As more multinational companies set up operations in western China, efficient air cargo services have become vital for maintaining supply chain reliability and sustaining the region’s export-oriented growth.