International cargo throughput doubles as fresh produce trade takes advantage of central location
Ezhou Huahu International Airport in China’s Hubei province has seen significant growth in airfreight shipments in 2025, with its geographic advantage aiding fresh produce trade.
According to the latest data, its international airfreight throughput in the first three quarters of 2025 rose 138 per cent year-on-year. The airport has also expanded its global cargo network with 24 new routes, further strengthening its role as a key air logistics hub in central China.
Through the first half of the year ,Ezhou Huahu International Airport has and operated nearly 6,500 international and regional flights, a 333 per cent year-on-year increase. By 17 July, the airport had handled more than 60,000 cargo flights in total, with cumulative cargo and mail throughput exceeding 2mn tonnes.
Ezhou Huahu International Airport now operates 45 international and regional cargo routes, the most extensive network in central China. It also serves 59 domestic routes that reach 54 destinations across every provincial-level region in the country, giving it the widest domestic coverage nationwide. The airport has built an efficient logistics network that enables overnight delivery across China and next-day access to major global markets.
Strategically located in central China, the airport is within a 1.5-hour flight of regions accounting for 90 per cent of the country’s economic output, and just eight hours from most major global markets. This enables the fast movement of high-value and time-sensitive goods.
For example, cherries flown directly from Chile can reach domestic markets within hours of landing. During summer, the “lychee air route” carries around 2mn fresh lychees each day, while other perishables such as cherries, waxberries, imported durians, and salmon move efficiently through the airport’s growing logistics network.
