The first batch of 50 tonnes of premium Chilean cherries, flown by chartered cargo flight from Chile via Mexico to Hong Kong, entered Zhuhai through the Air-Land Fresh Lane on 20 November 2025. This marks the first chartered shipment of fresh fruit to enter Zhuhai following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Hong Kong Customs and Gongbei Customs.

Air-Land Fresh Lane, which was officially launched in September by the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments in collaboration with Hong Kong International Airport, responds to the growing demand in the Greater Bay Area for premium, high-quality live and chilled goods from overseas. Leveraging the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the new initiative adopts an innovative regulatory model with streamlined clearance procedures for perishables transshipment. This enables fresh products—such as fruits, chilled and live seafood—to complete customs clearance in Zhuhai within as quickly as three hours upon flight arrival at Hong Kong.

HKIA is the world’s first airport community to achieve the full suite of IATA CEIV certifications, including CEIV Fresh—industry-wide accreditations for specialised cargo handling. The Air-Land Fresh Lane further strengthens HKIA’s fresh logistics capabilities and reinforces the airport’s leadership in the global air cargo industry.