Cainiao has established a comprehensive operation in Latin America
Cainiao Network (Cainiao), the logistics arm of Alibaba Group, announced the partnership with Qatar Airways Cargo to launch a weekly charter flight from Hong Kong (HKG), China, to São Paulo (GRU), Brazil.
On 5 March, the first Cainiao chartered Boeing 777 freighter departed Hong Kong Airport (HKG) at 6.45 p.m. UTC, headed for Guarulhos Airport (GRU), São Paulo, Brazil, with a tech stop at Qatar Airways Cargo’s hub in Doha, Qatar. Operating once a week, the Boeing 777 freighter provides 100 tonnes of cargo capacity.
“Cainiao’s mission is to deliver globally within 72 hours; a goal that can be achieved with the right logistics partners. In just over a year, Cainiao has established a comprehensive operation in Latin America, and we see that e-commerce retail in Brazil, in particular, is growing at a phenomenal rate. With Qatar Airways Cargo, we are in a good position to support that growth, and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership,” says William Xiong, Cainiao’s Chief Strategist and General Manager for Export Logistics. Cainiao has experienced a three-figure growth rate in its Latin American business over the past year and has driven a focused air cargo network expansion in recent months to secure smooth supply chain performance.
“There is no doubt that e-commerce is not only here to stay but is also one of the fastest-growing commodities within logistics, today. It demands versatility, speed, accuracy, and a reliable, global network,” Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo of Qatar Airways Cargo, explains. “We are constantly enhancing our service offering. We launched specialised e-commerce products with charter programmes, among others, back in 2015, already – around the same time as we began operations to Guarulhos, São Paulo. We are therefore in a strong position to assist Cainiao, both with our understanding of and experience in handling fast-moving consumer goods, as well as with our established network and trained staff at all three charter touchpoints: in Hong Kong, at our state-of-the-art hub in Doha, and at São Paulo. We are delighted to welcome Cainiao on board.”
