Cainiao Network, the logistics unit of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, launches a new freight service route linking Hangzhou of the Zhejiang province and Liege of Belgium in Western Europe. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Cainiao Network, the logistics unit of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, launched a new freight service route linking Hangzhou of the Zhejiang province and Liege of Belgium in Western Europe.

The Boeing 747-400F cargo plane, that departs from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and arrives at Liege Airport, is Hangzhou's first direct freight route to Western Europe and another such regular chartered e-commerce flight that Cainiao has inaugurated after its Hangzhou-Moscow route.

The new air freight service, carrying more than 200 tons of goods, will run two flights per week.

"As the first direct e-commerce freight route to Western Europe, the Hangzhou-Leige line will provide charter services for middle and small-sized enterprises in Central Europe and allow them to be involved in global trade," said Wan Lin, president of Cainiao Network.

The launch of the freight route significantly boosts the e-commerce trade between Hangzhou and European countries, according to Zheng Xiangping, general manager of the Zhejiang Airport Group Corporation Limited.

From January to September, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport witnessed a 13 percent and 8.5 percent increase in terms of cargo throughput and passenger throughput, among which the international cargo throughput has exceeded 30,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 52.3 percent.