China Post has started operations at its new air express hub at Nanjing in eastern China ahead ofschedule in its latest move to defend its leadership of the domestic express market and expand its
international activities.Its airline subsidiary China Postal Airlines launched flights to and from Nanjing Lukouairport in mid-July even though construction of new taxiways and parking aprons as well as the mainexpress handling building is not expected to be completed until end-August, the Xinhua news agencyreported.
China Post announced on August 1 that its 12 cargo planes are operating to and from Nanjing.Once the hub is fully completed, China Post plans to operate 20 cargo planes at the airport andhandle about 40,000 tonnes of express shipments a year there.
China Post officials claimed that the express hub will be the largest and most modern inAsia, and will enable it to speed up express services within the country. It will be composed of afreight terminal for postal night planes, modern sorting and distribution equipment, and customsand security facilities. The hub will handle and distribute domestic and international EMS itemsarriving at night, and complete within four hours all the processes of loading, sorting, securitychecking and customs clearance.
As well as upgrading domestic air express services, China Post has been gradually expandinginternational operations. China Postal Airlines launched flights to South Korea (Seoul) and Japan(Osaka) last year.
In July, China Post and Japan Post sealed a bilateral agreement on express services,including wider international express services between the two countries, and opening the way forJapan Post to buy into a China Post subsidiary.
