Until now, only two cities in the world – Hong Kong and Memphis – could boast that their airports handled more than 4 million tonnes of air cargo per year. But, according to the Shanghai Airport Authority, as of today, 15 December, Shanghai joined the 4-million-tonne club.]

Unlike Hong Kong and Memphis, which only have one airport, Shanghai’s air freight moves through two: Pudong International (PVG) and Hongqiao International (SHA). The growth of their combined handles is impressive: From 1 million tonnes in 2002 it grew to 2 million tonnes in 2005, 3 million tonnes in 2010, and 4 million tonnes this year. That is a compound annual growth rate of just over 10%, close to double the worldwide rate of growth in air cargo demand for the period.

Of course, air is not the only way goods move through Shanghai. By volume, 99% moves by sea, but the 1% of the tonnage that moves by air accounts for 34% of the total value of import and export traffic.

Most of Shanghai’s air cargo moves through PVG, which is the region’s main international hub. SHA has some regional connections (Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Macau), but serves primarily as a hub for domestic China traffic. Read more on Cargo Facts