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, and serve one of Cainiao’s fastest growing e-commerce destinations in Latin America.

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. The cargo on board included online retail products such as beauty and fashion goods, jewellery, watches, appliances, toys, and sports equipment. 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 at 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.”