The first cargo flight from Urumqi, China, to Istanbul was completed on Thursday. The plane carrying 55 tons of cargo took off from Diwopu International Airport, and the flight time between the cities was about seven hours. According to the customs service, flights on this route will be operated four times a week.
The new route will significantly strengthen economic and trade ties between China and Turkey, providing convenient access for foreign trade enterprises to Asian and European markets. Hua Chen, a representative of an international logistics company in Xinjiang, noted that this will contribute to the development of business services within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Diwopu Airport already has 16 international cargo routes, forming a wide air logistics network for Central and Western Asia, as well as Europe. The main import goods are clothing, food and equipment, and exports are machinery, high-tech products and consumer goods.