Air cargo sector playing key role in global recovery

"We will improve the unbalanced development of air cargo operations in different areas and enhance the response and handling ability of air cargo operations to cope with major risks," Li said.

Overseas carriers are also accelerating their cargo flights to China. United Airlines now operates cargo-only services connecting Chinese cities including Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Hong Kong with US cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC to transport vital goods.

Another US carrier, Delta Air Lines, said its flight schedule in the second quarter is 85 percent smaller than that of the same period of last year. It reduced 80 percent of domestic capacity in the US and 90 percent of overseas capacity.

Delta said its resumption of passenger flights to China is subject to Beijing's approval. It will also operate cargo-only scheduled services between Shanghai and Atlanta/Los Angeles.

"Operating cargo-only flights between Asia and the US will help keep vital supply lines open," said Shawn Cole, vice-president of Delta Cargo.

"We're proud to be supporting this effort by adding more flights between Asia and the US to help meet the increasing demand for equipment for the healthcare industry," Cole said.

In late March, Qatar Airways became the first Middle Eastern carrier to resume belly-hold operations to all of its six destinations in China with passenger-converted aircraft, driven by growing demand for the shipment of medical supplies and other goods.

Currently, the carrier operates daily cargo flights between Doha, capital of Qatar, and Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, in addition to cargo flights to Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, Chongqing and Chengdu.

"Qatar Airways has significantly lifted its freight capacity. Now, it operates about 180 cargo flights daily worldwide, including full cargo flights, belly-hold operations and cargo flights using aircraft converted from passenger planes," said Chan Cheong Eu, senior manager of Qatar Airways in China.

In June, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is scheduled to operate daily passenger and cargo flights between Amsterdam and Hong Kong. In addition, it will operate four weekly cargo flights to Beijing, 10 weekly flights to Shanghai and five weekly flights to Taipei.

Separately, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is developing a modification for the A330 and A350 family of aircraft. It will enable carriers to install freight pallets directly onto the cabin floor seat tracks, after removal of the economy-class seats.

Airbus said the solution will help with airlines' business continuity and alleviate the global shortage of belly-freight air cargo capacity because of the widespread grounding of passenger aircraft due to the pandemic. In addition, it will help the industry to meet high demand for humanitarian flights that transport medical equipment and other supplies.

"Compared with loading cargo onto seats, the solution facilitates easier and quicker loading and unloading operations, as well as reduced wear-and-tear operations to the seats themselves," Airbus said in a statement.

Airbus said the conversion includes the removal of the seats and in-flight entertainment systems, installation of cargo pallets and associated safety equipment as well as the re-installation of the original passenger cabin elements for reverting back to passenger operations. The approach will also be valid beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.