Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has begun a second own-controlled route under its partnership with Loong Air.
The Zhejiang-based carrier started flying a 737-300F (27518, ex-Air China) chartered by JD between Wuxi (WUX) and Tianjin (TSN) on June 16, ahead of JD’s June 18 anniversary sale event.
Unit 27518, which features JD Express branding and offers 130 cubic meters of capacity, is also chartered by JD for operation between WUX and Shenzhen (SZX) six times per week that began in May.
According to JD, the company aims to improve transit times for customers across the country and reduce its reliance on passenger bellyhold capacity. The new flight makes next-day delivery possible for a parcel travelling from Beijing to Guangdong province, an improvement of more than 24 hours.
The company declined to say how long the charter arrangements with Loong Air will last, or whether it plans to launch more dedicated flights in the second half of the year.
JD, which is already listed on the Nasdaq in New York, will make a secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on June 18, echoing a similar move by Alibaba Group in November 2019.
