Qatar Airways Cargo and Cainiao strengthen global alliance

More flights, faster shipping: a new partnership for international e-commerce

October 22, 2025

On September 11, 2025, Qatar Airways Cargo announced the expansion of its collaboration with Cainiao, the Chinese logistics company owned by Alibaba. The agreement aims to double the number of charter flights on routes between China and Europe, with the goal of speeding up international e-commerce deliveries and offering exporters greater flexibility.

New capacity and dedicated network

The partnership includes a significant increase in weekly capacity on the most strategic routes. Qatar Airways Cargo will provide its global network and a dedicated fleet to improve transit times and expand the flight schedule for Chinese exporters shipping to Europe.

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Strategy for faster deliveries

Mark Drusch, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways, stressed that China remains one of the markets with the highest demand for air capacity, particularly for e-commerce. Cainiao, in turn, recalled that it had already launched its“Global 5-Day Delivery” service in 2023 as a new standard. With this renewed agreement, the aim is to reduce international delivery times to 72 hours, while also strengthening the resilience and flexibility of the global network.

News for our industry

This news is especially relevant because it highlights a concrete shift in how international e-commerce is reshaping air logistics. For our company, it means closely monitoring the evolution of global partnerships and assessing how to leverage the new opportunities created by faster and more reliable networks. In the coming months, we will focus on exploring possible synergies with these developments, to provide our clients with increasingly competitive solutions aligned with international trends.

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Photo Credits: Pexels, Trasporto Europa