AirExplore (ED) China cargo service and booking connections

Airline overview

AirExplore is a Slovak airline registered in 2008 that began commercial operations on 30 May 2010 with a Boeing 737-400 (registration OM-AEX), based at M. R. Štefánik Airport (BTS) in Bratislava. A second aircraft, a Boeing 737-300 (OM-BEX), followed in 2011, and the classic 737s were retired between 2014 and 2019, leaving a uniform Boeing 737-800 fleet. The airline holds an air operator certificate from the Slovak Republic transport authority, is IOSA certified and is a member of AIR-E, the international representative body of European airlines.

On ownership, Avia Solutions Group completed its acquisition of AirExplore in June 2023, making the airline a group member. Avia Solutions Group is one of the largest ACMI providers in the world, and after the acquisition AirExplore's fleet expansion and wet lease business grew together. Public sources put headcount at about 240 in 2026, making it the largest airline in Slovakia. In 2026 the airline agreed a wet lease with Poland's Enter Air to place two 189-seat Boeing 737-800s in Katowice from 1 May to 31 October.

On business model, the airline focuses on charters and ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance wet lease), serving tour operators, airlines, sports teams and corporate clients. In summer 2020 it briefly ran scheduled flights from Bratislava to Split, Košice to Zadar and Bratislava to Stockholm; those scheduled services were later dropped and the airline returned to charters and ACMI.

On cargo, the airline took its first Boeing 737-800 converted freighter (OM-EDA) on 25 August 2022 and added further BCF and SF conversions, reaching eight freighters at the peak and seventeen aircraft in total at one point. The freighters were placed mainly at European and Middle Eastern airports, providing capacity to large integrators such as DHL and UPS in the EU market and taking ad hoc cargo work. The airline states publicly that it can carry dangerous goods, live animals, perishable cargo and high-value items; the cargo contact address is cargo@airexplore.sk.

On the state of the freighter business, industry reporting in June 2026 indicated that slower demand for narrowbody freighters led AirExplore to scale back cargo and refocus on passenger flying, with the number, parking and sublease status of the remaining freighters still being adjusted. Shippers planning European regional capacity should work from the aircraft and capacity the carrier confirms on the day of booking.

For a Chinese shipper, AirExplore's capability sits in narrowbody freighters and belly connections inside Europe. Cargo from China arrives at European hubs such as Frankfurt, Liège, Amsterdam, Leipzig, Budapest, Vienna and Prague on intercontinental services, then moves on its narrowbody freighters or wet-leased capacity for the second leg, with trucks connecting Bratislava, Košice, Žilina and other inland Slovak points, giving a mix of air-to-air transhipment and air-road transport.

China contact

No direct office in China is published. AirExplore has no published sales office, cargo desk or representative body in China; shippers wanting capacity and space details should contact its local China agent, or work through Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited at https://goodhope86.com.

The head office is at Bratislava airport. The official website is airexplore.aero, and the published cargo contact is cargo@airexplore.sk, which takes rate requests, charter and capacity enquiries. Office set-up, contacts and the scope of business accepted change with the company's structure; the contact route follows the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking.

We handle air freight booking and integrated logistics from China to Slovakia and Central Europe. We can request capacity from AirExplore and its authorized agents, manage China export clearance, security screening, palletising and loading, and track transhipment at the European hub and final delivery. For full charters, project cargo and special cargo, please provide the commodity, piece count, weight, dimensions and handling requirements so the carrier can assess aircraft suitability and loading.

Aircraft types and fleet

AirExplore follows a single-type strategy, with the whole fleet built on the Boeing 737-800 new generation series: the 737-800 passenger version, the 737-800BCF passenger-to-freighter conversion and the 737-800SF. One type brings high commonality in crew training, maintenance and spares and gives the airline scheduling flexibility in the ACMI market.

The passenger 737-800 has a 189-seat single-class layout for charter and wet lease work, and its lower holds can carry general cargo, mail and loose consolidated freight. The 737-800BCF is Boeing's own passenger-to-freighter conversion, with a large main deck cargo door and flat floor taking 88 by 125 inch pallets and containers; the 737-800SF is a third-party conversion with similar capability, loading on both main and lower decks. Published type data gives a payload of roughly 23 tonnes and a main deck volume of about 140 cubic meters; actual payload, volume and position configuration follow the loading plan and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking.

Fleet numbers move constantly with wet lease start, return and sublease dates, and published figures differ by date: 12 aircraft in August 2025 (8 passenger, 1 BCF, 3 SF), 14 in November 2025 (9 passenger, 5 freighter) and 11 in May to June 2026 (9 passenger, 2 freighter). The differences reflect fleet adjustment and are not a fixed capacity commitment.

Airport services and schedules in China

Airport service status in China

No public information is available on AirExplore's scheduled cargo flights into China, Chinese airports served or timetables. The airline has not published scheduled freighter routes to or from China, and its China-related work is charters, wet leases and connections through European hubs. Cargo leaves a Chinese gateway and tranships at Frankfurt, Liège, Amsterdam, Leipzig, Budapest, Vienna or Prague before entering Slovakia.

Chinese gateways are mainly Shanghai Pudong PVG, Guangzhou CAN, Shenzhen SZX, Beijing PEK, Zhengzhou CGO, Chengdu TFU, Chongqing CKG, Xi'an XIY, Hangzhou HGH, Xiamen XMN and Hong Kong HKG, where cargo completes export clearance, screening and palletising before loading. Commodity, transit requirement and rate target determine the gateway and sector combination, and we arrange it around the flight and space the carrier confirms on the day of booking.

Overview of cargo schedules from China

The table summarizes connections from Chinese gateways through European hubs to Slovakia. Frequency entries describe the general working rhythm of the hub sectors; times are local, schedules change with the season and are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking. AirExplore does not itself operate scheduled flights from China, and whether it carries the second leg depends on space and charter arrangements on the day.

Cargo connections from China to Europe and beyond

AirExplore's cargo service covers European regional and nearby sectors. After Chinese export cargo reaches a European hub on an intercontinental flight, its narrowbody freighter capacity can fly the second leg, reaching airports and inland cities across Slovakia and neighboring Central European countries. Its freighters have been placed at European and Middle Eastern airports, with Middle East work mainly ad hoc charters and wet leases.

Within Europe the core reach is Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Poland and Germany, extending by truck to France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Cargo with tight transit requirements can go air to air and clear in Bratislava; cost-sensitive cargo can go air to road, clearing at the European hub and running by truck direct to the Slovak delivery point.

Advantages for cargo departing China

Narrowbody freighters suit inland Central European points. Slovakia is landlocked, so cargo entering through a European seaport or airport still needs road transport. The payload and volume of the Boeing 737-800 freighter match regional Central European volumes and can carry Chinese export cargo from Frankfurt, Liège or Amsterdam straight into Bratislava or Košice, cutting road mileage and transhipments and shortening final delivery.

One type, faster support. With the whole fleet on the Boeing 737-800, crew qualifications, maintenance and spares are highly common, so adding flights, swapping aircraft and repositioning crews can be done quickly. For cargo chasing a deadline or a production line, that shows up as a shorter confirmation cycle on charters and ad hoc work.

EU customs and the truck network together. Bratislava is about 60 km from Vienna and within half a day's trucking of Budapest and Prague. Cargo can clear in Bratislava and deliver across Slovakia, or clear once at the European hub and run by truck direct to the delivery point; the trade-off between transit and cost depends on the cargo and the delivery requirement.

Experience with special cargo. The airline states it can carry dangerous goods, live animals, perishables and high-value items. Lithium batteries, chemicals, pharmaceutical cold chain and precision equipment place heavy demands on packing, declaration and loading at the China export stage, and the carrier's acceptance conditions and procedures for these categories are confirmed on the day of booking.

Ground handling quality from integrator work. Its freighters carry capacity for large integrators such as DHL and UPS in the EU market, so working rhythms and ground standards are aligned with express networks, which has practical value for e-commerce cargo, fast-moving replenishment and after-sales parts where schedule reliability matters.

Flexible charter options. For single shipments that are heavy, bulky or extremely time-critical, a full aircraft or ACMI charter can be requested, and the carrier assesses aircraft suitability, airport support and crew duty limits before quoting. Charter price, available window and airport slots are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.

Booking path from China

Demand confirmation. The shipper provides commodity, use, piece count, gross weight, volume, packaging, whether the goods contain batteries or dangerous goods, temperature control needs and the delivery deadline, and states whether delivery is airport pickup or last-mile. Dangerous goods also require a safety data sheet and a transport conditions statement.

Planning and quotation. We design the intercontinental leg from the Chinese gateway to the European hub and the second-leg connection around the cargo and transit target, then request capacity from AirExplore's cargo desk or its authorized agents, confirming aircraft, space and charter conditions.

Space confirmation and rate fixing. Once the carrier confirms available capacity we return rate, schedule and handling conditions to the shipper, and booking is completed on approval. Charters need separate confirmation of airport slots, ground support and crew arrangements, which takes longer than booking general cargo.

Documents and uplift. Cargo is warehoused at the Chinese gateway, cleared, screened and palletized, and the air waybill is issued. AirExplore's AWB prefix is not published; the issuing carrier and waybill number follow the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking, and through transit under one waybill is carried on the MAWB together with the HAWB.

In-transit tracking and transit handover. We track loading and arrival on the intercontinental sector, coordinate transit, clearance and onward capacity at the European hub, update the estimated arrival time when delays or re-routings occur, and propose alternatives.

Last-mile delivery and signature. Once cargo arrives in Bratislava, Kosice or the nominated European hub, truck delivery or airport pickup is arranged according to the clearance result, and the proof of delivery is closed after the consignee signs. Cargo subject to duty, VAT or EU compliance declarations requires the consignee or its customs broker to provide the relevant approvals and documents.

Special cargo and handling notes

Cargo types accepted

The airline's published accepted categories include dangerous goods, live animals, perishables and high-value items. Dangerous goods are accepted under the IATA dangerous goods rules and require classification, packing, marking, labelling and a completed declaration; live animals follow the live animal rules and need health certificates and approved containers; perishables need a defined insulation method, dry ice or phase-change material quantity and permitted transit time; high-value items need the value declared in advance and escort or insurance arranged.

Loading and dimension limits

The main deck cargo door of the Boeing 737-800 freighter sets the maximum cross-section of a single piece, so oversize length, width or height must be submitted as a dimension drawing for the carrier to assess. The main deck is secured with pallets, containers and tie-down nets, and center of gravity and floor load limits are set by the loading plan; heavy items and off-center loads must have their weight distribution declared.

Chinese export documents

Chinese export requires a customs declaration, invoice, packing list, contract, customs declaration authorization and any required licences. Lithium battery cargo needs a UN38.3 test report and transport assessment; chemicals need a safety data sheet; wood packaging must meet IPPC treatment rules and carry the mark; EU import requires CE compliance, an EORI number and the consignee's customs credentials. The exact document list depends on the cargo and customs requirements.

When charters and wet leases apply

A full charter suits shipments close to narrowbody payload, deadlines that cannot slip, or destinations without scheduled capacity, such as production line emergencies in the automotive and machinery industries, exhibition materials and energy or engineering project cargo. ACMI wet lease suits shippers or partners needing stable long-term capacity, with the carrier supplying aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance as a package.

Transit time and peak season swings

The total transit time from China to Slovakia comprises four stages: the intercontinental sector, hub transit, customs clearance and last-mile delivery. Capacity and rates move noticeably in peak season and around holidays. For e-commerce promotions, the pre-Chinese New Year rush and the tight capacity around European holidays, book early and allow handling time.

FAQ

Data definitions and notes

Sources: airline background, fleet composition, ownership history and freighter status are compiled from company disclosures, industry reporting and public flight data. Figures differ by date of compilation, and the content is not a capacity commitment. On office changes: carrier offices, contacts and the scope of business accepted change with company structure, and contact channels follow the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking.

Schedules and times: times are local; schedules change with the season and are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking. Timing for China departure flights, European transit sectors and last-mile delivery is confirmed shipment by shipment against the carrier's reply at booking.