Cainiao Network said in a statement that it is leading a group that will invest US$1.5 billion to build a logistics centre at Hong Kong International Airport.
Alibaba Group’s logistics arm will lead the project via its joint venture with China National Aviation Corp. and YTO Express.
Cainiao will take a controlling stake of 51% in the JV, with China National Aviation Corporation and Shanghai-based delivery company YTO Express, taking stakes of 35% and14% respectively.
The logistics centre is expected to begin operations in 2023 and will have a gross floor area of 380,000 square metres and the capacity to handle “tens of millions of parcels” annually as
cross-border e-commerce continues to rise. At full operating capacity, the centre will add 1.7 million tonnes of cargo volume per annum to HKIA.
It will include an air-cargo processing centre, a sorting centre and order-fulfillment centre. It will feature automated warehousing technology and automated temperature control.
Forming a global network
Cainiao already has three global fulfillment centres operated by its partners in Hong Kong. Cainiao also opened an airfreight route between Hong Kong and Belgium (Liège) last month, the second
international route set up for e-commerce parcels after opening one between Hangzhou and Moscow earlier this year (CargoForwarder Global reported).
Cainiao last week detailed plans to open five hubs around the world, in Dubai, Hangzhou, Kuala Lumpur, Liège in Belgium and Moscow.
“The Hong Kong hub will be yet another milestone in our goal of achieving 72-hour global delivery and will further empower SMEs locally and globally to more readily tap the benefits of more
inclusive globalisation through cross-border e-commerce,” said Wan Lin, president of Cainiao Network.
Nol van Fenema
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