Air-Land Fresh Lane streamlines customs for intermodal shipments via HKG

Cathay Cargo has become the first carrier to use the Air-Land Fresh Lane, an initiative that allows perishable shipments flown to Hong Kong to be trucked into the Greater Bay Area under the same air waybill. The Air-Land Fresh Lane aims to deliver fruit, and live and chilled seafood from Hong Kong Airport (HKG) into mainland China more quickly and securely, and with minimal handling, according to a Sept. 15 release from Cathay Cargo. [caption id="attachment_57291710" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] (Courtesy/Cathay Cargo)[/caption] The lane was initiated by the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong SAR in partnership with the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), General Administration of Customs of China and Zhuhai Municipal Government. Zhuhai is located within the Guangdong province. The perishables travel from HKG and across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and into the wider Greater Bay Area (GBA). HZMB Zhuhai Port recently opened a temperature-controlled inspection facility to enable spot checks and sampling of fresh goods at the checkpoint. The shipments travel from HKG to HZMB Zhuhai Port via temperature-controlled truck equipped with accredited e-lock and GPS. An e-lock uses electrical current to operate as opposed to a traditional key and mechanical system, allowing access through a keypad, a keycard or remote control. Under this scheme, the shipments receive a Certificate for Transshipment Confirmation issued by the Hong Kong C&ED. This streamlines the customs process allowing perishable goods to be imported into the Chinese mainland via Hong Kong. Live seafood trials The inaugural Air-Land Fresh Lane shipment for live seafood took place in mid-August, featuring a consignment of live lobsters transported from Melbourne, Australia (MEL), by Cathay Cargo . The carrier soon followed that trial with another shipment of live geoducks from Los Angeles (LAX). “Both consignments transitioned seamlessly from aircraft to temperature-controlled trucks and crossed the border without delay, demonstrating the reliability and efficiency of this new initiative,” Cathay Cargo said in the release. Increased intermodality AAHK implemented an air-sea intermodal model in 2023 after signing a cooperation framework agreement with the Dongguan government to create an HKG Logistics Park in Dongguan and a new airside intermodal cargo pier at the airport. Air cargo travels from Dongguan to the airport — about 90 kilometers — via sea, cutting costs and handling times. HKG handles approximately 75% of international air cargo in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA, according to the airport. Under this initiative, security screening, palletization and acceptance for GBA’s export cargo can be completed in Dongguan, then shipped to HKG by sea without the need to undergo additional security screening at the airport. Cathay Cargo, AAHK, HKG, Yusen Logistics and IATA cooperated on a pilot in October 2023 offering ONE Record data protocols for sea-to-air shipments accepted at the airport’s logistics park in Dongguan. IATA’s ONE Record is a standard for data sharing that creates a single record view of a shipment. Cargo Facts Symposium, the quintessential event for stakeholders and key leaders in the global freighter and air cargo industries, will take place Oct. 22-24 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville . Learn more and register today to attend this key industry event.

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