Solinair

Carrier profile and business focus

Solinair d.o.o. is a Slovenian cargo airline founded in 1991, originally as a flight training and air taxi business. In 2008 the Turkish carrier MNG Airlines became a shareholder, the company shifted to freighter operations, and in 2014 it moved its head office and main operating base to Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU).

Solinair's IATA code is ZS, its ICAO code SOP and its radio callsign SOLINAIR. It holds an air operator certificate issued by the Slovenian civil aviation authority, with the Airbus A300B4-605R and A300B4-622R approved types. The website is solinair.si.

The current fleet is two Airbus A300-600 freighters, registered S5-ABW (A300B4-605R(F)) and S5-ABX (A300C4-605R); one of them previously belonged to China Cargo Airlines before joining Solinair. In 2024 the company operated 725 cargo flights and 826 flight hours, mainly European regional cargo and charter work for DHL and MNG Airlines.

For Chinese shippers Solinair does not fly to China; its value is the European regional leg after trunk cargo from China has landed. Once Chinese exports reach a major European hub with a Chinese or European carrier, Solinair's A300 freighters can carry them on the south-central European regional sector, serving the European regional networks of freight operators such as DHL. Shippers needing distribution through Ljubljana or towards the Balkans can have us coordinate the Solinair sector.

Contact channels in China

Solinair has no publicly announced directly owned office or cargo sales point in China. Its cargo operations and charter sales are managed from the Ljubljana head office, and its main customers are DHL and MNG Airlines.

Chinese shippers wanting Solinair European regional freighter space should coordinate through us. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) can connect Chinese cargo to Solinair's European regional flights, which suits regional distribution of Chinese e-commerce goods and high-value manufactured products into south-central Europe. For further assistance, contact details are available on our website goodhope86.com.

Fleet and aircraft data

The Solinair fleet consists entirely of converted Airbus A300-600 freighters, a classic type in the European regional cargo and charter market. The aircraft is a converted widebody with a main deck that takes large numbers of LD3 containers and PMC pallets, suited to short and medium-haul regional cargo in Europe.

The A300-600F is a twin-engine widebody freighter whose main deck takes about 12 PMC pallets plus several LD3 containers, with a payload of about 45 tonnes. The type has supported DHL's European regional cargo network since September 2015, and capacity doubled when a second A300 joined in October 2018. In 2024 the company operated 725 cargo flights, roughly two a day, showing a model built on scheduled European regional cargo and charters. Actual schedules follow DHL and MNG network arrangements and are subject to carrier confirmation at booking. Build-up of Chinese export cargo at the European hub must be done to Solinair ground agent requirements.

China gateway service and current routes

Solinair has no publicly announced direct cargo flight to China and is not based at any Chinese airport. Its A300 freighter routes are all within Europe, mainly regional cargo flights between Ljubljana and the DHL and MNG hubs in Europe.

China-Europe trunk flights are frequent, so shippers can use the nearest gateway. Solinair keeps engineering and ground support teams at Ljubljana, where A300 freighters can turn around and change pallets.

Reach from China

Once Chinese cargo reaches a major European hub, Solinair's A300 freighters can connect to the following European regional directions. Solinair's routes mix charters and scheduled cargo work, and points change with the DHL and MNG networks.

For Chinese shippers the value of Solinair is freighter capacity on the south-central European regional leg: once Chinese e-commerce goods and high-value manufactured products reach a European hub, A300 freighters can carry them to southern Europe and the Balkans without depending on passenger bellies. Actual points change with charter tasks and are subject to carrier confirmation at booking.

Value of shipping into the European region from China

Looking at cargo dispatched from China and entering south-central Europe through a European hub, Solinair offers the following connection value.

Network diagram: China to the European region

The diagram shows Chinese export cargo arriving at major European hubs from Chinese gateways and Solinair A300 freighters distributing it to Ljubljana and points in south-central Europe.

Dedicated cargo products

Solinair offers the following cargo products for goods exported from China and entering south-central Europe through a European hub.

DHL regional cargo handling

Since September 2015 Solinair A300 freighters have supported DHL's European regional cargo network. Chinese e-commerce goods reaching a major European hub can enter the DHL European distribution system on Solinair flights, which suits Chinese cross-border sellers needing time-definite delivery in south-central Europe.

MNG freighter network connections

MNG Airlines of Turkey has controlled Solinair since 2008, and the A300 fleet flies MNG's European regional cargo services. Chinese cargo entering the MNG network through Istanbul can connect to the Solinair sector for central and southern European points.

European freighter charters

For Chinese exports of bulk industrial equipment and project materials, Solinair can provide A300-600F point-to-point charters. Charter tasks are quoted per flight and suit urgent or full-volume Chinese export projects.

Actual points and schedules for these services follow charter tasks and DHL and MNG network changes, subject to carrier confirmation at booking.

Booking process at the Chinese end

Solinair has no sales organisation in China, so booking through a professional forwarder is the most efficient route for Chinese shippers. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) can provide the following path.

Commodity types and operating points for Chinese exports to the European region

China-Europe is one of the busiest air cargo corridors in the world. After Chinese exports reach hubs such as Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and Istanbul they must be distributed to southern Europe, central Europe and the Balkans by regional carriers. Solinair's A300-600 freighters handle the regional sector in that chain.

Cross-border e-commerce parcels

Chinese cross-border e-commerce volumes to Europe are huge and DHL is one of the main European express networks. Solinair has flown European regional cargo for DHL since 2015, so Chinese e-commerce goods reaching a European hub can continue on A300 freighters to sorting centres in southern Europe and the Balkans, with last-mile delivery by the DHL express network.

High-value manufactured products

Chinese exports of industrial machinery, auto parts, medical equipment and precision instruments are high in value and need firmer freighter space than passenger bellies provide. The A300-600F main deck has no passenger seats, so it carries such cargo reliably, suiting steady replenishment for Chinese manufacturers' customers in south-central Europe.

Vehicles and parts

Chinese vehicle exports to Europe are growing fast. Complete vehicles mostly move by roll-on roll-off sea freight, while parts depend on air freight. The aftermarket in southern Europe and the Balkans needs frequent, small parts shipments, and Solinair's regional freighter network can handle that sector.

Seasonal and project cargo

European markets concentrate replenishment just before selling seasons, and Chinese apparel, consumer goods and holiday products need freighter space heavily in those windows. Solinair accepts charter tasks and can add European regional capacity during the Chinese export peak.

Transit operations at the Ljubljana LJU hub

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU) is Solinair's operating base. It sits in south-central Europe, within short flying distance of northern Italy, Croatia, southern Hungary and the Austrian border, making it a good transit point for the Balkans and southern Europe.

Base engineering and turnaround support

Solinair keeps engineering and ground support staff at LJU, and the two A300-600F aircraft can complete daily turnarounds, light maintenance and pre-flight preparation at the base. Chinese cargo arriving from a major European hub usually turns around at LJU within hours, protecting connection times on the European regional sector.

DHL and MNG network connections

MNG Airlines of Turkey has controlled Solinair since 2008, and the A300 fleet also flies MNG's European network services. MNG's Istanbul hub connects cargo flows from China to Turkey, and Solinair carries cargo arriving from Istanbul on to central and southern Europe. For Chinese shippers this ownership structure means the China-Europe flow can complete both the intercontinental and the regional sector within one carrier group.

Charters and wet lease

Alongside scheduled regional cargo, Solinair offers A300-600F wet lease (ACMI) and point-to-point charters. Chinese exports of bulk project equipment, seasonal peak cargo or urgent high-value goods can charter a freighter for intra-European flights. Charters are quoted per flight and crew and slots must be confirmed with the carrier in advance.

2024 operating scale

In 2024 Solinair operated 725 cargo flights and 826 flight hours, and the two A300-600F aircraft average about 32 years old. That scale shows a business positioned as a lean European regional cargo operator rather than an intercontinental trunk carrier. Chinese shippers should treat Solinair as the European regional connection for trunk cargo from China, not as a direct carrier from China.

Choosing the route as a Chinese shipper

Chinese exports to Europe still need a stage of intra-European distribution after the trunk flight reaches a major hub. The carrier chosen for that stage directly affects final transit time and cost, and Solinair's A300 freighters have clear value in the following cases.

Peak-season European e-commerce capacity

In the fourth quarter, during the European e-commerce selling season, parcel volumes from China to Europe surge and passenger belly space tightens. Solinair's A300 freighters can add regional capacity for express networks such as DHL, and Chinese cross-border sellers can use it to protect peak delivery times.

Coverage in the Balkans and southern Europe

Traditional belly networks concentrate on large hubs such as Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam and are thinner in southern Europe and the Balkans. Solinair's base at Ljubljana in south-central Europe lets its A300 flights distribute Chinese cargo quickly to northern Italy, Croatia, southern Hungary and southern Austria, filling the density gap in that region.

Freighter preference for high-value cargo

Chinese high-value manufactured products, auto parts and medical equipment need transport certainty. A freighter carries no passenger belly and therefore no loading uncertainty; space is allocated by ULD and cargo status can be tracked throughout. For shippers the freighter sector is more controllable than a passenger belly.

Emergency charter capability

When a Chinese exporter in Europe faces an urgent replenishment, trade fair samples or equipment breakdown, an A300-600F can be chartered for an intra-European point-to-point flight. A charter is not bound to a published schedule and can be arranged around the cargo's time window.

Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited can assess, against the shipper's cargo parameters and European destination, how the Solinair freighter or charter option compares with a passenger belly routing, and give full-route rates and transit times. Shippers do not need to contact the Slovenian carrier themselves: we arrange the China-Europe trunk sector and the Solinair regional sector in one plan, connecting from the Chinese gateway through to the consignee in southern Europe or the Balkans.

Corridor outlook and cooperation

The China-Europe air cargo corridor stays busy, and Chinese cross-border e-commerce parcels, manufactured products and auto parts landing at major European hubs need regional carriers to complete distribution in south-central Europe. With its Ljubljana base and long cooperation with MNG and DHL, Solinair holds a stable position in European regional freighter capacity.

As Chinese vehicle and high-end manufacturing exports to Europe grow, demand for intra-European freighter capacity is likely to rise. Solinair's A300-600F fleet is small but its regular flights within the DHL and MNG networks give Chinese cargo predictable regional space. Shippers planning Europe-bound logistics can treat Solinair as one reliable option for the European regional leg.

Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited tracks Solinair fleet and route changes and provides Chinese exporters with current European regional freighter options. For full-route rates covering the China-Europe trunk sector and the Solinair regional leg, contact us through our website goodhope86.com. Shippers planning Europe-bound logistics can treat Solinair as a reliable freighter connection for the south-central European regional sector.