Air cargo service launched to China

Massachusetts and Massport officials yesterday marked the inaugural air cargo flight of the Yangtze River Express to Shanghai, China.

According to the Massachusetts Port Authority, which manages Logan International Airport, the new service marks the first direct air service between New England and China.

Yangtze River Express, a subsidiary of the Hainan Group and Hainan Airlines, a large Chinese air cargo carrier, will offer direct cargo service from Boston to Shanghai three times a week, Massport said.

"China is one of our most important markets, and in the past five years alone, Massachusetts exports to China have increased over 200 percent," Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement.

"Direct service to China is something Massport has been working towards for year as part of our mission to help support the regional economy by connecting local companies with the global marketplace," Massport chief executive Thomas J. Kinton Jr. said in a statement.

Before the launch of the new service, 70 percent of New England's air exports to China went through New York, adding delays and increasing costs for local companies, Massport said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)