Chinese air cargo transport to Afghanistan airport

Which airports in China provide international cargo air services to Afghanistan airports?

China has Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN, Guangzhou, Guangdong), Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (URC, Urumqi, Xinjiang), Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport (LHW, Lanzhou, Gansu), Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG, Shanghai), and Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX, Shenzhen, Guangdong), which provide international cargo air services to Afghanistan Airport. Among them, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport flies directly to Kabul through Turkey Airlines and provides seasonal charter services for Southern Airlines. Urumqi Airport relies on geographical advantages to fly directly from Afghanistan Ariana Airlines and transfer through Uzbekistan Airlines. Lanzhou Airport serves as a land-air intermodal node and transfers through Almaty. Shanghai Pudong Airport transits through hubs such as Dubai and carries Afghanistan pine nuts. Shenzhen Bao'an Airport uses SF Express aviation special line and Tashkent transfer services for cross-border e-commerce goods. Each airport covers various categories such as electronic equipment, agricultural products, medical equipment, etc. through direct flights, transfers, and multimodal transportation, constructing an international freight network connecting China and Arab countries.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) : Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is located in Baiyun District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, about 28 kilometers away from the city center. It is a 4F-level international aviation hub. As the core cargo hub in southern China, the airport flies directly to Kabul (KBL) through Turkey Airlines (TK) three times a week, with a transportation time of 4-5 days, covering more than 45 kilograms of goods (such as electronic equipment and automotive parts), with an actual cargo capacity of about 100 tons/class. At the same time, China Southern Airlines (CZ) seasonal charter flights to Kabul (KBL), carrying agricultural products such as Afghan pine nuts, and relying on the Pearl River Delta manufacturing cluster to provide "door-to-door" comprehensive logistics services. The goods can also be transported by land to Afghanistan via Almaty (KZN) to meet the high-efficiency demand.

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (URC) : Urumqi Diwopu International Airport is located in the new urban area of Urumqi, Xinjiang, 16.8 kilometers away from the city. It is a 4E-class airport with an annual cargo throughput of 275,000 tons. It is China's air cargo bridgehead to Central and South Asia. Relying on its geographical advantages, the airport operates two direct flights per week from Afghanistan Ariana Airlines (FG) to Kabul (KBL) with flight number FG331 (passenger belly cargo), transporting high value-added goods (such as medical equipment and precision instruments). Uzbekistan Airlines (HY) transits electronic products and building materials from Tashkent (TAS) to Kabul (KBL) with three flights per week. In addition, the airport also provides "air + land" cross-border transfer service, with a transportation time of about 3-5 days.

Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport (LHW) : Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport is located in Gaolan County, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, 75 kilometers away from the urban area. It is a 4E-level airport with an annual cargo throughput of over 100,000 tons. It is positioned as a northwest branch freight hub and focuses on developing the "Belt and Road Initiative" characteristic logistics. There is no direct flight route to Afghanistan at present. As a land-air intermodal node of "China-Central Asia-Afghanistan", goods can be transferred through "Lanzhou-Almaty (KZN) -Kabul (KBL) ", with two flights per week to undertake bulk goods such as machinery and equipment and chemical raw materials. The airport also relies on the China-Europe freight train to achieve low-cost transportation and further improve logistics efficiency.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) : Shanghai Pudong International Airport is located in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 30 kilometers away from the city center. It is the world's third largest cargo airport with a cargo throughput of over 2 million tons. The airport is mainly for transit. China Cargo Airlines (CK) and others transfer to Kabul (KBL) through hubs such as Dubai (DXB) and Istanbul (IST). China Southern Airlines (CZ) seasonal charter flights to Kabul (KBL) have transported a total of 1770 tons of Afghan pine nuts, highlighting the advantages of the Yangtze River Delta supply chain.

Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX) : Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport is located in Bao'an District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, 32 kilometers away from the city center. It is a 4F-level airport with a cargo and mail throughput of 1.881 million tons in 2024, and is the core node of cross-border e-commerce logistics. The airport is mainly for transit. SF Express Airlines (O3) operates 1-2 flights per week on the "Shenzhen → Doha (DOH) → Kabul (KBL) " route, transporting cross-border e-commerce goods such as 3C products and clothing, relying on the Shenzhen cross-border e-commerce industry cluster to provide "special plane + overseas warehouse" services. Goods can also be transferred from Tashkent (TAS) to Kabul (KBL), with 2-3 flights per week, transporting electronic products and automotive parts. Shenchang International Freight Station has launched the "intelligent supervision mode", shortening the customs clearance time of export goods to less than 10 minutes, supporting "same-day delivery, global next-day delivery".

Which airlines offer cargo services from China to Afghanistan airport?

The airlines currently providing cargo services from China to Afghanistan include Turkey Airlines (TK), Afghanistan Ariana Airlines (FG), Uzbekistan Airlines (HY), China Southern Airlines (CZ), UAE Airlines (EK), Qatar Airlines (QR) and Afghanistan Kam Air (RQ). Among them, Turkey Airlines flies directly from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Kabul and also provides Istanbul transit services; Ariana Airlines flies directly from Urumqi to Kabul and supports Tashkent transit; Uzbekistan Airlines transports goods through the Urumqi-Tashkent-Kabul transit network; China Southern Airlines has opened seasonal charter flights in Guangzhou and Shanghai to transport Afghanistan pine nuts; UAE Airlines covers high value-added goods and cross-border e-commerce goods through Dubai and Qatar Airlines through Doha transit; Kam Air relies on the Urumqi-Tashkent route to provide customs clearance and distribution support within Afghanistan. Each company meets diverse freight needs such as electronic equipment, agricultural products, and medical supplies through direct flights and transit modes.

Turkey Airlines (TK) : Operates direct cargo flights from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) to Kabul International Airport (KBL), with flight number TK725 every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The single cargo capacity is about 100 tons, transporting high value-added goods such as electronic equipment and automotive parts, with a delivery time of 4-5 days. In addition, the company also provides a "Guangzhou-Istanbul-Kabul" transit plan through the Istanbul hub, supporting cold chain transportation and dangerous goods.

Afghanistan Ariana Airlines (FG) : Relying on the geographical advantage of Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (URC), FG331 is a direct passenger-to-cargo flight from Kabul (KBL) every Monday and Friday, with a single cargo capacity of about 15 tons, mainly carrying medical equipment, precision instruments, etc. The goods can also be transferred to other cities in Afghanistan via Tashkent (TAS), with an overall delivery time of 3-5 days.

Uzbekistan Airlines (HY) : Provides transit services from Urumqi (URC) to Kabul (KBL) via Tashkent (TAS), with flight numbers HY501 (Urumqi-Tashkent) + HY333 (Tashkent-Kabul), executed every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The single-shift belly cargo capacity of the Tashkent hub is about 20 tons, transporting electronic products, building materials, etc., with an overall delivery time of 5-7 days. The company cooperates with Afghanistan Kam Air to support the "China-Tashkent-Afghanistan" full logistics solution.

China Southern Airlines (CZ) : Operates seasonal charter flights from Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) and Shanghai Pudong (PVG) to Kabul (KBL). Flight number CZ8705 operates from September to December every year during the pine nut season. There are 1-2 flights per week, with a cargo capacity of about 110 tons per flight, and the cumulative transportation of Afghanistan pine nuts exceeds 1770 tons. In addition, the goods can be transported by land through Almaty (KZN) to meet the transportation needs of bulk agricultural products.

UAE Airlines (EK) : Transfer to Kabul (KBL) via Dubai (DXB) via Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), with flight numbers EK303 (Shanghai-Dubai) + EK513 (Dubai-Kabul) departing once a day. The belly hold capacity of a single flight at the Dubai hub is about 30 tons, transporting high value-added goods and cross-border e-commerce goods, with an overall delivery time of 5-6 days. The company uses advanced navigation technology to optimize the cargo operation at Kabul Airport, ensuring full-load transportation even in low cloudy weather.

Qatar Airways (QR) : Launched a route from Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX)/Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) via Doha (DOH) to Kabul (KBL), with flight numbers QR897 (Shenzhen-Doha) + QR505 (Doha-Kabul) three times a week, using Airbus A330-300F cargo aircraft, with a single cargo capacity of about 40 tons, focusing on electronic equipment and fresh products, and a delivery time of 4-5 days from Shenzhen to Kabul. The company cooperates with Xiamen Airlines to share belly cabin resources on the China-Doha route and improve cargo flexibility.

Kam Air (RQ) : As a private airline in Afghanistan, it provides transit services from Urumqi (URC) to Kabul (KBL) via Tashkent (TAS), with flight numbers RQ217 (Urumqi-Tashkent) + RQ335 (Tashkent-Kabul) twice a week, with a cargo capacity of about 15 tons per flight. It mainly carries textiles and daily necessities, and the overall delivery time is 6-8 days. The company cooperates with Uzbekistan Airlines to provide customs clearance and distribution support within Afghanistan.

How long does it take for Chinese air cargo to arrive at Afghanistan airport?

The fastest transportation time for Chinese air cargo to Kabul International Airport (KBL) in Afghanistan can be compressed to within 2 days (direct flight route + buzz customs clearance), and the slowest may exceed 10 days (multiple transfers + customs clearance delays). The specific time difference is mainly affected by the following factors: Direct flights (such as Turkey Airlines TK725, China Southern Airlines CZ8705) can significantly shorten the flight time (3-7 hours), but seasonal restrictions should be noted (such as China Southern Airlines only operates during the pine nut season); although the transit route (via Dubai, Doha or Tashkent) covers more cities, the total time spent increases to 5-14 hours due to transit stops, and the overall time required after customs clearance is 5-8 days. The customs clearance process usually takes 1-3 days, and special goods (such as dangerous goods and medicines) may be extended to 5 days. The customs clearance can be compressed to 2-4 hours through the entrutal hearing of the freight forwarder. Extreme weather (low clouds in Kabul in winter), holidays (Ramadan, Spring Festival) and sensitive goods transportation will further affect the timeliness. It is recommended to prioritize direct charter flights (such as fresh food delivery on the same day) and reserve a 3-day buffer period to deal with the risk of sudden delays.

1. Time limit for direct flights

Direct flights are the most time-efficient option, with short flight times and no need for transfers, but attention should be paid to the impact of different departure cities and flight frequencies on the overall transportation cycle.

Turkey Airlines (TK) route : Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) → Kabul (KBL), flight time : about 6 hours (direct flight), flight number TK725 (3 flights per week).

Afghanistan Ariana Airlines (FG) route : Urumqi Diwopu Airport (URC) → Kabul (KBL), flight time : about 3 hours (direct flight), flight number FG331 (2 flights per week).

China Southern Airlines (CZ) route : Guangzhou (CAN)/Shanghai Pudong (PVG) → Kabul (KBL), flight time : 6-7 hours (seasonal charter), flight number CZ8705 (1-2 flights per week during the pine nut season).

2. Time limit for connecting flights

Although the transit route covers a wide range, the transportation time is significantly extended due to the cargo sorting and flight connection at the hub airport.

UAE Airlines (EK) route : Shanghai (PVG)/Guangzhou (CAN) → Dubai (DXB) → Kabul (KBL), total flight time : about 14 hours (Shanghai to Dubai 9 hours + Dubai to Kabul 3 hours), transit stop 6-8 hours.

Qatar Airways (QR) route : Shenzhen (SZX)/Chengdu (TFU) → Doha (DOH) → Kabul (KBL), Total flight time : about 10 hours (Shenzhen to Doha 8 hours + Doha to Kabul 2 hours), transit stop 8-12 hours.

Uzbekistan Airlines (HY) and Kam Air (RQ) routes : Urumqi (URC) → Tashkent (TAS) → Kabul (KBL), Total flight time : Approximately 5 hours (Urumqi to Tashkent 3 hours + Tashkent to Kabul 2 hours), transit stop 3-6 hours.

3. Customs clearance time

Customs clearance is a link with many uncontrollable factors in the transportation cycle, and it is necessary to focus on document compliance. Different types of goods and declaration processes have a significant impact on timeliness.

Regular goods: The customs clearance time is usually 1-3 days. If the documents are complete and there are no abnormalities, it can be shortened to 1 day.

Special goods: Dangerous goods, fresh produce, etc. require additional approval, and customs clearance time is extended to 3-5 days.

4. Special circumstances affect

Holidays/peak season : During Afghanistan Ramadan, Chinese Spring Festival, etc., customs clearance may be extended to more than 5 days.

Extreme weather : Low clouds in Kabul during winter may cause flight delays (some airlines such as UAE Airlines use special navigation techniques to reduce the impact).

Highly sensitive goods : such as lithium batteries and drugs need to be declared in advance, and the transportation time will increase by 1-2 days.

5. Freight forwarding services

Pre-customs clearance : submit documents in advance, customs clearance shortened to 2-4 hours.

Charter direct flight : Avoid the restrictions of the aircraft belly compartment to ensure that fresh food arrives on the same day.

Summary

Fastest : Direct flight + buzz customs clearance → Completed within 2 days.

The slowest : multiple transit (such as China → Doha → Dubai → Kabul) + customs clearance delay → more than 10 days.

What are the cargo charter flights from China to Afghanistan airport?

The main cargo charter flights from China to Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan include: China Southern Airlines (CZ) flying directly from Shanghai Pudong (PVG) to Kabul (KBL) with flight number CZ8705, operating 1-2 flights per week during the pine nut season from September to December each year, transporting about 110 tons of Afghan pine nuts per flight; Turkey Airlines (TK) operates a direct flight from Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to Kabul (TK725), with 3 flights per week, carrying high value-added goods such as electronic equipment; Afghanistan Ariana Airlines (FG) has opened a passenger-to-cargo flight from Urumqi (URC) to Kabul (FG331), with 2 flights per week, transporting medical equipment; Qatar Airlines (QR) connects Shenzhen (SZX) and Kabul through the Doha hub, with 3 flights per week, focusing on transporting electronic equipment Products and fresh produce. These charter flights cover the transportation of agricultural products, industrial products, and emergency supplies, meeting the core needs of China-Arab trade.

Airline information

China Southern Airlines (CZ) : Departing from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), flight number is CZ8705, mainly in the pine nut season from September to December each year to perform cargo charter missions, 1-2 flights per week, the flight segment is PVG-KBL (direct flight), the cargo capacity of a single class is about 110 tons, and the cumulative transportation of Afghanistan pine nuts exceeds 1770 tons.

Turkey Airlines (TK) : Departing from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), the flight number is TK725, and there are 3 direct cargo charter flights per week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), and the flight segment is CAN-KBL (direct flight). The cargo capacity of a single class is about 100 tons, mainly transporting high value-added goods such as electronic equipment and automotive parts, with a time limit of 4-5 days.

Afghanistan Ariana Airlines (FG) : Departing from Urumqi Diwopu Airport (URC), flight number FG331, two passenger-to-cargo flights are executed every week (Monday and Friday), and the flight segment is URC-KBL (direct flight). The cargo capacity of a single class is about 15 tons, mainly carrying medical equipment and precision instruments.

Qatar Airways (QR) : Departing from Shenzhen Bao'an Airport (SZX), flight numbers QR897 (Shenzhen-Doha) and QR505 (Doha-Kabul), three connecting charter flights per week, the flight segment is SZX-DOH-KBL, using Airbus A330-300F cargo aircraft, with a single cargo capacity of about 40 tons, focusing on electronic products and fresh food transportation.

Route introduction

Shanghai Pudong (PVG) - Kabul (KBL) Special Line : A seasonal charter line operated by China Southern Airlines, mainly serving the trade of agricultural products between China and Afghanistan. During the pine nut season (September-December) every year, flight CZ8705 flies directly from Shanghai to Kabul, with a single flight capacity of 110 tons of goods, providing core logistics support for the export of pine nuts from Afghanistan, and may also carry Chinese aid materials on the return journey.

Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) - Kabul (KBL) Line : Turkey Airlines' direct cargo line connects China's Pearl River Delta and Afghanistan through flight TK725, using its wide-body cargo aircraft advantages to carry high value-added industrial products, and supporting cold chain and dangerous goods transportation, providing an efficient channel for China-Afghanistan trade.

Urumqi (URC) - Kabul (KBL) Special Line : Afghanistan Ariana Airlines' passenger-to-cargo special line, relying on geographical advantages to achieve a 3-hour direct connection, provides stable services for the trade of medical supplies and precision instruments between Xinjiang and Afghanistan, and can also extend coverage to other cities in Afghanistan through Tashkent (TAS).

Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX) - Kabul (KBL) Transit Line : Qatar Airlines and Xiamen Airlines' Doha hub transfer plan realizes the connection between Shenzhen and Kabul through QR897 + QR505 flights, providing fast logistics services within 5 days for electronic manufacturing enterprises in southern China, and sharing belly cabin resources to improve flexibility.

How much is the air freight price from China to Afghanistan airport per kilogram?

The air freight price from China to Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan is usually between 43-56 yuan/kg, depending on the type of route, cargo weight, and additional conditions. Taking direct flights as an example: Turkey Airlines (TK) departs from Guangzhou (CAN), with a price of 49 yuan/kg for 100kg +, which can be reduced to 45 yuan/kg for 1000kg +; China Southern Airlines (CZ) Shanghai (PVG) seasonal charter flight (pine nut season) with a price as low as 44 yuan/kg, exclusively for agricultural product transportation. Transit routes such as Qatar Airlines (QR) Shenzhen (SZX) via Doha, with bulk cargo (1000kg +) negotiable up to 40 yuan/kg. Price fluctuations are affected by season (5% -10% increase in pine nut season), cargo type (10% -20% additional charge for dangerous goods), and fuel surcharge (3-5 yuan/kg). For emergency shipments, charter flights can be selected (60-80 yuan/kg, minimum 10 tons). It is recommended to prioritize transit for bulk general cargo, and direct flights for high-value or time-sensitive cargo.

Price post script

Floating factors :

Seasonal impact : Songzi season (September-December) China Southern Airlines prices may rise by 5% -10%;

Type of goods : dangerous goods, cold chain goods need to add 10% -20% surcharge;

Fuel surcharge : Adjusted according to international oil price fluctuations, currently RMB 3-5/kg.

Transfer route discount :

Routes transiting through Doha (QR) and Dubai (EK) can negotiate a reduction of 2-3 yuan/kg for a price of 1000kg +.

Land and air transportation (such as Chongqing → Almaty → Kabul) prices are as low as RMB 35-40/kg, but the delivery time is extended to 7-10 days.

Special service fees :

Buzz customs clearance : Committal hearing document service fee RMB 500-1000/ticket, customs clearance time is compressed to within 24 hours;

Charter direct flight : emergency cargo charter price is about RMB 60-80/kg (minimum load 10 tons).