A connecting carrier between China and southern South America, radiating from its Buenos Aires hub across Argentina and the rest of the continent.
Aerolineas Argentinas is Argentina's national flag carrier, IATA code AR, ICAO code ARG. It was formed in 1950 from the merger of several Argentine regional airlines and is headquartered in Buenos Aires. The carrier uses Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Ezeiza (EZE) as its international hub, Jorge Newbery Airport (AEP) as its domestic mainline hub and Córdoba Airport (COR) as a third inland hub, giving it a three-hub structure. Aerolineas Argentinas joined SkyTeam in 2012 and is also a member of SkyTeam Cargo, giving shippers worldwide a belly cargo network across southern South America.
Cargo capacity is mainly passenger belly space, backed by a small number of Boeing 737-800 converted freighters for urgent mail and peak-season replenishment. The domestic network centers on Buenos Aires and links Mendoza, Córdoba, Neuquén, Ushuaia and other major cities. International services leave Ezeiza for Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Rome in Italy, Miami and New York in the United States, and Latin American and Caribbean points such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Bogotá, Cancún and Punta Cana, forming the main trunk route from southern South America to Europe and North America.
Cargo is run by the airline's cargo division, which sells capacity worldwide through general sales agents. With three hubs, the carrier has built a collection and distribution system in Argentina centered on Buenos Aires with Córdoba as the inland transit point, so international arrivals can be broken down at Ezeiza and moved quickly to the provinces. The fleet has been renewed in recent years with Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A330neo aircraft, cutting fuel burn per unit while raising available belly payload and reliability on long sectors.
For Chinese shippers the value of Aerolineas Argentinas lies in its local network in southern South America and its alliance connections. China and Argentina are far apart and lack direct freighter services, so most trade cargo transits Europe or North America. As the local flag carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas covers one essential leg: the ocean-crossing sector and domestic distribution.
Aerolineas Argentinas does not fly nonstop between China and South America, but its Ezeiza hub is the key entry point for Chinese cargo into Argentina and southern South America. Machinery and electrical products, textiles and apparel, auto parts and light consumer goods exported from China can leave a Chinese gateway, connect through a European or North American hub to Ezeiza, and then move on the carrier's domestic regional network to inland cities such as Córdoba, Rosario and Mendoza.
In the import direction, Argentine soybean oil, wine, frozen meat, leather and lithium-related products can move back to Chinese gateways on the same belly and freighter capacity. Official cargo site: aerolineas.com.ar; cargo subsite: cargo.aerolineas.com.ar.
Aerolineas Argentinas has no publicly listed office of its own in China; cargo sales in the Chinese market run through SkyTeam partners and local forwarding agents. To book space or check rates, shippers can contact its local Chinese agent or ask Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited to coordinate. We handle air freight enquiries and bookings from China to Latin America regularly, know the clearance and ground handling routines at Ezeiza, and can confirm belly allocations, freighter schedules and acceptance conditions for special cargo on the shipper's behalf.
To start, the shipper needs the cargo description in Chinese and English, pieces, weight and dimensions, HS code, shipper and consignee details and any transport requirements, so that we can file the booking request and secure space. For dangerous goods, perishables or out-of-gauge cargo, the documents should come earlier so the carrier can assess aircraft type and loading plan.
Because Aerolineas Argentinas does not sell cargo capacity directly in China, shippers who enquire on their own often face unclear connections and opaque rates. Working through us, the shipper gets one quote covering the Chinese gateway to Ezeiza, and we coordinate space between the China leg carrier and Aerolineas Argentinas, cutting multiple conversations and the risk of a broken connection.
One contact handles the whole process, so the shipper does not have to deal with several carriers separately.
The Aerolineas Argentinas fleet consists of Airbus widebodies, Boeing single-aisle aircraft, Embraer regional jets and a few freighters. Belly capacity covers domestic, regional and transatlantic trunk routes. Widebodies fly the long sectors to Europe and North America, while single-aisle and regional aircraft handle regional South American and domestic collection and distribution.
| Aircraft type | Cargo mode | Main use |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A330 (including the A330neo transition period) | Passenger aircraft belly capacity | Flies the transatlantic trunk routes from Ezeiza to Madrid, Rome and Miami. The belly holds high-value and time-sensitive cargo and is the main widebody capacity connecting China with South America. |
| Boeing 737-800 / 737 MAX 8 | Passenger aircraft belly capacity | Flies regional South American and Argentine domestic trunk routes, linking São Paulo, Santiago de Chile and other points, and handles inland distribution after arrival. |
| Boeing 737-800 freighter | Freighter capacity | Used for concentrated peak-season mail and cargo and for extra sectors carrying urgent freight. Deployed on regional cargo routes at the carrier's discretion, with schedules that follow the season. |
| Embraer E190 | Passenger aircraft belly capacity | Serves thinner regional points and distributes cargo to inland and far-southern cities such as Salta, Neuquén and Ushuaia. |
Fleet numbers and configurations change with fleet renewal; the carrier's information on the day of booking applies.
Widebody belly space carries most of the cargo between China and South America. The holds take standard ULDs and loose pallet cargo and suit high-value, time-sensitive trade goods. Narrowbody belly payload is limited but offers frequent flights and many destinations, and covers inland distribution after arrival. Freighters add capacity during peak shipment periods. Together the three cover both long sectors and regional routes.
Aerolineas Argentinas operates no scheduled cargo flights into China. Chinese exports complete the first leg with a SkyTeam partner through a European or North American hub, then connect to the carrier's transatlantic sector into Ezeiza. The table lists the main connections and indicative frequencies. Times are local and schedules follow the season, subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
| Chinese origin cities | Connection path | Arrival hub | Indicative schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Pudong PVG | PVG via a European hub to MAD, then EZE | Buenos Aires EZE | Daily service to Madrid; the connecting sector runs on a weekly pattern |
| Beijing Capital PEK | PEK via a North American hub to MIA, then EZE | Buenos Aires EZE | High frequency to Miami; the connecting sector runs daily |
| Guangzhou CAN | CAN via a European hub to FCO, then EZE | Buenos Aires EZE | About four to five flights a week to Rome |
| Shenzhen SZX | Via Hong Kong or a Southeast Asian hub to Europe, then EZE | Buenos Aires EZE | No fixed published schedule; confirmed at booking |
The table shows indicative connections. The transatlantic sector is operated by Aerolineas Argentinas, the China-to-hub sector by a SkyTeam partner, and aircraft type and allocation are confirmed shipment by shipment.
Aerolineas Argentinas itself operates no cargo flights inside China. The Chinese origin cities listed above are consolidation gateways only; the first leg is flown by a partner carrier or by mainline capacity we arrange. Shippers can deliver at Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai or Beijing, and we organize domestic road haulage or a short mainline sector to the departure airport before the cargo enters the connecting lane.
The Aerolineas Argentinas network extends outward from Buenos Aires and, together with SkyTeam partner routes toward Eurasia, forms a multi-channel system for Chinese cargo moving into and out of southern South America. Shippers can enter through a European hub or a North American hub; the two differ in cost, transit time and capacity reliability, and we combine them according to the cargo.
Through the Ezeiza hub, Chinese cargo can be distributed to Argentine cities such as Córdoba, Rosario, Mendoza, Salta and Ushuaia and onward to nearby markets including Santiago in Chile, São Paulo and Rio in Brazil, Montevideo in Uruguay and Asunción in Paraguay, covering the main industrial and agricultural regions of South America.
With three transatlantic trunk routes to Madrid, Barcelona and Rome and two North American routes to Miami and New York, Chinese cargo can make a second connection at a European hub, forming a broad corridor from China to South America. The Miami hub also covers the Caribbean and northern Latin America.
Farm products, meat, wine, leather goods and mining-related products from Argentina and neighboring countries can be consolidated in belly space at Ezeiza and moved back along the same lane to Chinese gateways, giving shippers in China–Argentina trade two-way capacity.
As a SkyTeam Cargo member, Aerolineas Argentinas shares capacity and network with alliance partners. Chinese shippers can use partners' China routes for steadier connecting capacity and a single through air waybill. Toward Europe, alliance partners offer several daily departures from major Chinese gateways with wide connecting windows, which suits planned long-term shipments.
Choosing the Aerolineas Argentinas connection from China to South America gives the shipper more than a transatlantic sector: it is a complete plan built from a local flag carrier, an alliance partner network and our booking service. Six points describe what the lane offers Chinese shippers.
First, hub coverage is complete. Ezeiza is one of the most important international air gateways in southern South America, and the carrier's three-hub structure moves arrivals quickly into the Argentine interior, shortening the last leg for Chinese cargo. Second, the alliance network is mature. SkyTeam Cargo has members in both Europe and Asia, so the China leg can be flown by a partner and the connecting sector by Aerolineas Argentinas, with good capacity coordination.
Third, belly and freighter capacity complement each other. Widebody belly space covers regular trade cargo, and the 737 freighters add capacity in peak season and on urgent shipments. Fourth, the lane fits two-way trade. China and Argentina have steady flows in machinery and electrical goods, light manufactures, farm products and meat, and the carrier's two-way lane gives importers and exporters symmetrical options. We help shippers choose between belly and freighter according to cargo and transit time.
Fifth, destination clearance connects smoothly. Ezeiza has established international cargo terminals and ground agents, and our local partner can handle document checks, customs declaration and duty payment on arrival, reducing dwell time caused by paperwork. Sixth, operations are stable. As the national flag carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas has run its transatlantic routes for many years, and its ability to restore frequencies and redeploy capacity is better than that of ad hoc charters, which suits contract shippers who need certainty. Overall the lane offers coordinated capacity, inland distribution and a good fit with two-way trade.
Chinese shippers do not book with Aerolineas Argentinas directly but entrust the whole move to a licensed international freight forwarder. As booking agent, Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited takes the booking instruction, selects a connecting hub based on destination and transit time, confirms space separately with the China leg carrier and Aerolineas Argentinas, then issues the air waybill and arranges pickup, declaration, mainline carriage and arrival clearance.
The steps are: the shipper submits a shipping instruction and cargo data; we calculate the rate and confirm the routing; once space is secured the cargo enters the departure airport terminal; the mainline and transatlantic sectors fly to schedule; the destination agent completes clearance and inland distribution. Shippers can check waybill status and estimated arrival through us. Dangerous goods, live animals and plants, and temperature-controlled cargo must be declared at the booking stage so the carrier can assess acceptance.
For shippers who trade with Argentina regularly, we offer contract booking and capacity reservation, locking transatlantic allocation ahead of the peak season so no space is lost to last-minute requests. We can also handle export declaration, foreign exchange verification documents and certificates of origin, giving one continuous process from handover to signed delivery.
Beyond routine belly carriage, the Aerolineas Argentinas network supports several cargo scenarios that matter to Chinese shippers. Acceptance conditions are subject to carrier confirmation on the day.
Argentine wine, frozen meat and high-value perishables exported from China can move in temperature-controlled belly space where the carrier's conditions allow, with generous connection time at the transit point.
Machinery and electrical products, auto parts and premium light manufactures can be given priority space and dedicated tracking, reducing handover risk on the transatlantic connection.
In the export peak and during the farm harvest, the carrier can deploy freighters for extra sectors, and we can reserve peak-season space for shippers in advance.
Small, urgent cross-border e-commerce shipments can use express belly products, connect quickly through a European hub to Buenos Aires, and then move on domestic regional flights to the main consumer cities.
Exhibits for Argentine trade fairs, temporary repair parts and project materials can be declared as temporary cargo; we handle the temporary import and export documents and the return carriage.
Aerolineas Argentinas does not fly nonstop from China to Buenos Aires; Chinese cargo must connect through a European or North American hub. Common routings start in Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou, transit Madrid, Rome or Miami, and land at Ezeiza. We help choose the best hub and connection combination for the transit time and cost required.
Capacity is mainly passenger belly space. Airbus A330 widebodies carry belly cargo on transatlantic trunk routes, single-aisle and regional aircraft handle regional distribution, and a few Boeing 737-800 freighters cover peak-season extra sectors and urgent mail. Regular trade cargo normally flies in the belly; for consolidated shipments freighter space can be requested.
Aerolineas Argentinas has no publicly listed office in China. Contact its local Chinese agent, or ask us to coordinate. The shipper only submits a shipping instruction and cargo data; we confirm space, issue the air waybill and track the shipment, so there is no need to deal with the carrier directly.
Total transit time depends heavily on the hub and the connection wait. From major Chinese gateways through a European or North American hub to Ezeiza, door-to-airport transit for routine belly cargo is about eight to twelve days, including the domestic leg and arrival clearance preparation. Each shipment must be confirmed individually; peak season and special cargo take longer.
Higher-value routine goods such as machinery and electrical products, textiles and apparel, auto parts and light consumer goods suit belly carriage. Temperature-controlled goods such as wine, frozen meat and fresh produce must be declared in advance and accepted by the carrier. Out-of-gauge and dangerous goods need identification documents at the booking stage so the carrier can assess aircraft type and loading plan.
Air freight is charged on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, plus surcharges for fuel, security screening and terminal handling. Our quotes are usually split into the China leg, the transatlantic connection and destination handling, and shippers can commission the whole move or individual legs. Clearance, duties and inland distribution at destination are generally not included in the air freight and are settled separately as incurred.
Compiled by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited. Flight times are local and schedules follow the season, subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking. The Aerolineas Argentinas name and trademarks belong to Aerolineas Argentinas. The material is produced by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited for the purpose of describing cargo connections only.
Contact: website https://goodhope86.com, email info@goodhope86.com.