Comprehensive Review of Services for Air Freight from China to Greece

Airline		Key Cargo Business	Characteristics of Cargo Transportation from China to Greece
Air China	CA	Electronic products, pharmaceutical products, cross-border e-commerce goods	Provides direct freight services from Beijing to Athens, with stable capacity, suitable for bulk cargo transportation
China Southern Airlines	CZ	Industrial equipment, mechanical components	Transits to Greece via European hubs, providing multiple transit routes
Juneyao Airlines	HO	A Chinese local airline gradually expanding its international cargo business	Opens direct routes from Shanghai to Athens, providing cargo space
Sichuan Airlines	3U	Passenger and cargo transportation services on domestic and international routes in China	Direct routes from central and western China to Athens, capable of transporting various goods, promoting economic and trade exchanges between Chengdu and Greece
Olympic Airlines	OA	Tourism supplies, agricultural products	Provides direct freight services to Athens
Aegean Airlines	A3	A Greek local airline covering cargo transportation in Europe and the Middle East	Mainly operates domestic and European routes in Greece, suitable for cargo transshipment within Greece
Lufthansa	LH	A European cargo mainstay with a Frankfurt hub	Provides freight services from major Chinese cities to Greece via Frankfurt, suitable for high-value goods
Air France	AF	Special goods such as artworks and fashion items, as well as general goods	Operates daily and 隔日 flights from Chinese cities to Greece, meeting the transportation needs of different types of goods
Emirates	EK	High-value goods, electronic products, luxury goods, etc.	Departs from multiple Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong to Athens, using all-cargo aircraft, with advantages in transporting large quantities of goods
Turkish Airlines	TK	Eurasian cargo hub with transfer advantages in Istanbul	Provides freight services from Guangzhou and Shenzhen to Athens/Thessaloniki, with high transfer efficiency
Ethiopian Airlines	ET	African characteristic goods such as agricultural products and mineral products, as well as general goods	Operates 2-4 flights per week from China to Greece, using models such as the Boeing 777-200LR
Qatar Airways	QR	A Middle Eastern cargo giant with a Doha hub	Provides freight services from China to Greece via Doha, suitable for high-time-sensitive needs
Emirates	EK	Dubai hub with a global cargo network	Hong Kong-Athens freight route, suitable for e-commerce and bulk cargo transportation
EgyptAir	MS	Various general goods and special goods	Flies from Beijing to Athens, 2-4 flights per week, using models such as the Boeing 787-9

 

Time Consumption of Air Freight from China to Greece

1. Direct Flights
Direct flights are the way with shorter time consumption in air freight from China to Greece:

• Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK): The flight time is usually 10 to 11 hours.
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG): The flight time is usually 11 to 12 hours.
• Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN): The flight time is usually 10 to 11 hours.

2. Connecting Flights
Although connecting flights take longer, they provide more choices:

• Transfer in Doha: The total flight time is approximately 14 to 16 hours.
• Transfer in Istanbul: The total flight time is 13 to 15 hours.
• Transfer in Abu Dhabi: The total flight time is 14 to 17 hours.

3. Customs Clearance Time
After the goods arrive in Greece, the customs clearance time generally takes 2 to 4 days. Special goods (such as dangerous goods) may require longer customs clearance time.
4. Influences of Special Circumstances

• Season and weather: Changes in wind direction and air currents in winter and summer may affect flight time. In addition, extreme weather such as thunderstorms or typhoons may cause flight delays and increase the total flight time.
• Airport congestion: If there is congestion at Chinese or Greek airports, the transportation time of goods may be extended.
• Customs inspection: The customs inspection process may take some time, especially if the goods require special handling.

5. Summary of Overall Time Consumption

• Direct flights: The overall time consumption (including flight time and customs clearance time) from major Chinese airports (such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou) to Athens, Greece, is usually 5 to 10 days.
• Connecting flights: The overall time consumption (including flight time, transfer time, and customs clearance time) from China to Greece is usually 7 to 12 days.

 

Charter Flights for Air Freight from China to Greece

For time-sensitive or oversized goods, charter services, with flexibility and exclusive guarantees as the core, have become the preferred solution for high-end cargo transportation such as precision instruments and cold-chain fresh products. The following is a reference for some charter flights for air freight from China to Greece:

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)

• Main routes: Beijing→Athens (ATH), Beijing→Crete (HER)
• Characteristics and suggestions:
• Air China (CA) operates the Beijing-Athens route, which is a regular direct flight between China and Greece.
• China Southern Airlines (CZ) and Lufthansa (LH) provide transfer charter services, suitable for time-sensitive cargo transportation needs.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)

• Main routes: Shanghai→Athens (ATH), Shanghai→Crete (HER)
• Characteristics and suggestions:
• China Eastern Airlines (MU) and Juneyao Airlines (HO) provide charter or commercial flight extension services.
• Turkish Airlines (TK) and Gulf Air (GF) provide transfer solutions via Istanbul/Middle East, suitable for flexible cargo transportation arrangements.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN)

• Main routes: Guangzhou→Athens (ATH), Guangzhou→Thessaloniki (SKG)
• Characteristics and suggestions:
• China Southern Airlines (CZ) is the main operating airline, providing direct or stopover freight charters.
• Turkish Airlines (TK) and Qatar Airways (QR) provide efficient Middle Eastern hub transfer solutions, suitable for cross-border e-commerce logistics.

Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX)

• Main routes: Shenzhen→Athens (ATH), Shenzhen→Thessaloniki (SKG)
• Characteristics and suggestions:
• Hainan Airlines (HU) and Polar Air Cargo (PO) provide seasonal charter services, suitable for special cargo transportation needs.
• UPS Airlines (5X) provides international freight dedicated lines, suitable for high-value or emergency logistics transportation.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)

• Main routes: Hong Kong→Athens (ATH)
• Characteristics and suggestions:
• Cathay Pacific (CX) and Emirates (EK) provide high-frequency transfer solutions, suitable for time-sensitive cargo transportation.
• Aegean Airlines (A3) provides charter services of Greek local airlines.

Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU)

• Main routes: Chengdu→Athens (ATH), Chengdu→Thessaloniki (SKG)
• Characteristics and suggestions:
• Sichuan Airlines (3U) provides route solutions from central and western China to Athens.
• Qatar Airways (QR) provides Doha transfer solutions, suitable for cargo transportation needs in southern Europe.

 

Prices of Air Freight from China to Greece

Freight rates fluctuate driven by market supply and demand, fuel costs, and route competition. Enterprises need to comprehensively evaluate the balance between cost and efficiency by combining cargo characteristics and transportation priorities. The following table is for reference of air freight prices from China to Greece:

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN)
Price Range:$2.59 – $31.60/kg
Features and Recommendations:

• Minimum Price: EgyptAir (MS) via Cairo (CAI) transit, $2.59/kg (for 1000KG+).
• Maximum Price: China Southern Airlines (CZ) via Amsterdam (AMS) transit, $31.60/kg (for 100KG+).
• Recommendation: Turkish Airlines (TK) and Qatar Airways (QR) offer stable and lower-cost Middle Eastern transit solutions, suitable for regular cargo transportation.

Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX)
Price Range:$2.94 – $3.44/kg
Features and Recommendations:

• Turkish Airlines (TK) via Istanbul (IST) transit, with prices stable at $3.44/kg (for 45KG+) to $2.94/kg (for 1000KG+).
• Recommendation: Suitable for cargo in South China, with high transfer efficiency at Middle Eastern hubs, ideal for small to medium-sized shipments.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Price Range:$2.19 – $17.68/kg
Features and Recommendations:

• Minimum Price: Gulf Air (GF) via Manila (MNL) transit, $2.19/kg (for 1000KG+).
• Maximum Price: Turkish Airlines (TK) charges as high as $17.68/kg for small batches (45KG+), but drops to $3.26/kg for large volumes (1000KG+).
• Recommendation: Emirates (EK) and Qatar Airways (QR) provide efficient Middle Eastern transits, suitable for high-time-sensitivity needs.

Price Trend Summary:

• Larger volumes offer better deals: All routes show that the higher the cargo volume, the lower the unit price (e.g., 1000KG+ prices are 30%-50% lower than 45KG+).
• Middle Eastern transits are most cost-effective: Routes via Istanbul (IST) or Doha (DOH) by Turkish Airlines (TK), Qatar Airways (QR), etc., offer high cost-performance.
• Higher prices for domestic airlines: Direct flights or European transit routes by China Southern Airlines (CZ) are significantly more expensive than foreign airlines (e.g., AMS transit is 2-3 times costlier).

 

2026 Latest Air Freight Prices from Major Chinese Cities to Greece

• Departing from Beijing: $2.32 - $3.64 /kg
• Departing from Shanghai: $4.25 - $4.59 /kg
• Departing from Shenzhen: $2.83 - $6.35 /kg
• Departing from Chengdu: $3.48 - $4.35 /kg
• Departing from Hong Kong: $2.61 - $5.89 /kg