The 15th Anniversary of SF Airlines: Fleet Expands to 89 Freighters, Over 7 Million Tonnes of Cargo Transported

At 23:00 on December 31, 2024, SF Airlines flight O37193 from Hulun Buir to Beijing landed smoothly, marking SF Airlines’ successful completion of the air transportation production tasks in 2024 and safe operation for 15 years.

Through endeavors for 15 years, remain true to the original aspiration and make concerted efforts
In 2009, as the industries of e-commerce and express logistics flourished, SF Airlines emerged as the times required. As the first private express airline, SF Airlines is committed to providing safe and efficient air logistics services, making economic production more efficient and the society and life better. Over the past 15 years, SF has remained true to its original aspiration, made concerted efforts, increased transport capacity, added flight routes, strengthened safety and services, and firmly undertaken its social responsibility to answer the call of the era with striving concept and steady development.

Since its maiden flight on December 31, 2009, SF Airlines has put 89 freighters into operation in total, reached over 110 cities around the globe and established 4 operational bases. SF Airlines has recorded over 0.9 million continuous hours of safe flight, carried cargoes over 7 million tonnes, advancing from a medium freight airline to a large freight airline.

Serve the economy, drive the industry development with efficiency and scale.
15 years ago, a B757-200 freighter of SF Airlines was able to transport 20 tonnes of goods from the Pearl River Delta to the Yangtze River Delta, connect with the ground network efficiently, accelerate the promotions of express delivery services of Next Day Delivery and Next Morning Delivery, therefore more e-commerce orders can be delivered more rapidly, more commercial businesses can be achieved more rapidly; after 15 years, at present, 90 freighters of SF Airlines achieve operations on a large scale. During the peak period, there are nearly 200 flights each day at average, covering Asia, Europe and North America. Relying on the international and supply chain services with rapid development and the cargo processing capability of SF’s Ezhou Hub, these flights of freighters flying through days and nights can better integrate domestic and international air logistics demands more rapidly and in a larger range, accelerating the circulation of goods and promoting economic cycle.

On August 5, 2021, SF Airlines launched the first freighter route between Diqing, Kunming and Shenzhen in China for the transportation of tricholoma matsutake. During the tricholoma matsutake season, fresh tricholoma matsutake from the origin can take the flight of freighters of SF Airlines every night. About 10 tonnes of tricholoma matsutake were transported to Shenzhen and then distributed to the whole nation with SF Airlines’ other flights. In 2024, relying on the advantages of Ezhou Hub’s efficiency and scale, the flights for fresh food are consolidated to Ezhou for operation, specialty agricultural products such as tricholoma matsutake of Yunnan, cherries of Shandong, Lychees of Hainan, waxberries of Zhejiang, hairy crabs of Jiangsu, beef and mutton from Inner Mongolia departed from the flight of the origins, and underwent “air-land transit” and “air-air transit” through Ezhou Hub, in this way, the products can reach large cities all over the country within 12 hours at the fastest, some of which can be forwarded overseas. The scenarios that consumers place the orders online on the previous day, and taste the fresh food the next day have become daily life of consumers. For farmers of the origin, the visions of creating revenue, increasing revenue, building their own brands and doing business globally are gradually being implemented.

Looking internationally, in 2023, SF Airlines achieved “air-air transit” in Ezhou Huahu International Airport, at present, the modes of domestic to international transfer, international to domestic transfer, international to international transfer and domestic to domestic transfer have been covered. On the early morning of September 8, 2024, the Ezhou-Incheon flight flew by SF Airlines connected with the I98838 Dacca-Ezhou flight arrived earlier at the previous night, completed “international to international” cross-freight depots, and “air-air transfer” cross-airline businesses. On the morning of November 8, the Ezhou-Zhengzhou flight flew by SF Airlines, relayed the flight from Hanoi, Vietnam to Ezhou and transit the international goods to Zhengzhou, under this mode, the transit time for the international goods can be reduced by 2 to 3 days, reducing the overall logistics transportation costs significantly. Through “air-air transfer” flights for the production raw materials and manufacturing finished products, international exchange is achieved in a quicker way. This is an important manifestation that SF Airlines actively participates in the integration of global industry chain, international cooperation of work, driving development of the industry with the air logistics capacity.

Serve people’s livelihood, lay a solid foundation with efficiency and scale.
In April of 2010, SF Airlines only operated one B757-200 freighter, however, the freighter participated in the task of transporting disaster relief resources for the Yushu Earthquake; after a decade, in face of emergent public health events, natural disaster, SF Airlines has a fleet of over 50 aircraft, which can be coordinated to match aircraft transport capacity, equipment resources, technical personnel for the emergency transportation demands nation-wide, rapidly establish air freight channels, stabilize logistics supply chain and guarantee people’s livelihood.

Through endeavors for 15 years, make steady progress and aim for the highest
Over the past 15 years, supported by competent departments of Civil Aviation Administration of China and cooperating organizations, SF Airlines has taken the initiative to innovate, and makes contributions to the development of the industry while marching steadily and making breakthrough.

In December of 2009, SF Airlines became the first private express delivery airline in China.
In December of 2010, SF became the first private freight airline to be certified for SMS supplemental operations qualification in China.
In March of 2014, SF Airlines completed the filing in external dangerous goods training institutes, becoming one of the ten training institutes that completed the filing in China.
In December of 2014, EFB operations were approved for the entire fleet. SF Airlines became the first freight airline promoting EFB operation for all fleet in China.
In September of 2017, SF Airlines supplemented operation certification by operating the risk control system, becoming the first airline that completed risk control system examination in China.
In September of 2017, SF Airlines became the first private airline that obtained 5A (Transportation) logistics enterprise qualification in China.
In December of 2017, SF Airlines purchased two B747 freighters, becoming the first express delivery airline that operate freighters of this type in China.
In July of 2019, the first freight security information system with security inspection image corresponding to cargoes of the flight piece by piece in China was put into operation.
In November of 2022, the Flight Training Center obtained the Operation Certification Flight Training Center (CCAR-142), becoming the first freight CCAR-142 certified training center in China, which is also the only one flight training center in China that provides complete flight training services for B757/767.

In December of 2022, SF Airlines launched the Wuhan-Frankfurt route, guaranteed the export transportation of large-scale lithium power batteries for the first time, becoming the first airline that transported power batteries weighing more than 35kg safely in China.
In September of 2024, the modification of lower hold bulkhead obtained STC certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which is the first case in China.
In September of 2024, the keel beam maintenance project of B-2506 aircraft made a breakthrough of autonomous and controllable maintenance design beyond specifications of civil aircraft and obtained 2024 MRO China Award.

It is the best time to set sail. The year 2025 is the last year for the execution of the 14th Five-Year Plan. The high quality development of China’s economy advanced solidly, the “Belt and Road Initiative” will be further promoted practically, the industrial structure will continue to upgrade. In terms of supporting the supply chain, service industry chain and promoting the dual domestic and international circulation, the air logistics industry will face more development opportunities and challenges.

Over the past 15 years, SF Airlines strove hard unswervingly; In the coming days, the future holds tremendous promise. In 2025, SF Airlines will adhere to the operation principle of safety-first, and management philosophy of steady operation, fully take the advantages of the fleet, network, hub, technologies and talents, continue to enhance the competitiveness of air logistics services in the domestic and international markets, marking a good start for a brighter future.