OREANDA-NEWS. Cargolux Airlines International carries 725 tonnes of fresh cherries on six charter flights from Santiago, Chile to Zhengzhou and on one flight to Shanghai via the airlines hub in Luxembourg. The first flight operated on 22 November and completed the transport of the first 10,000 tonnes of cargo between Luxembourg and Zhengzhou.

The cherries originate from an area south of Santiago that is also famous for its wines. As one of only eight countries that have a free trade agreement with China, Chile can ship fresh fruit by sea or air to the People's Republic. Cherries are highly regarded amongst Chinese people and, each year, Chile exports about 50% of its production to China during the main airfreight season between November and December.

Cargolux has a long history in Chile and regularly carries cherries from Santiago to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in addition to European destinations. The airline sees very strong demand for capacity during the high season from local and international forwarders. Cargolux's cherry flights to Zhengzhou are a new addition to the airline's services and underline the importance of Henan's airport as a rapidly growing freight hub in Central China.

In addition, Cargolux operates 8 charter flights from Zhengzhou to Luxembourg with Microsoft X-Boxes that are destined for Birmingham and Amsterdam. All 8 charter flights will be operated within 11 days.