On October 11, 2025, a fully loaded B747-400 cargo aircraft operated by SF Airlines took off from Ezhou Huanhu International Airport bound for Chicago OHare International Airport. The successful takeoff marked the commencement of the "Ezhou = Chicago" international cargo route. To date, the North American routes operated by SF Airlines have successfully covered the three core cities of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago in the United States, achieving connectivity to the eastern, western, and central regions of the United States. This provides stronger logistics support for the global layout and regional fine coordination of international supply chains.

 Figure 1: The inaugural flight ceremony of the Ezhou-Chicago cargo route

       The "Ezhou=Chicago" route is planned to operate once a week, with the aircraft type * having a maximum load capacity of nearly 110 tons. It can provide approximately 220 tons of air transportation capacity for round-trip flights between Ezhou and Chicago each week, mainly transporting international express deliveries, e-commerce parcels, general cargo, and more.

Figure 2: Ezhou Huahu Airport

The route plan is to operate one flight per week, with the B747-400 all cargo aircraft carrying a maximum capacity of nearly 110 tons. It can provide approximately 220 tons of air transport capacity for round-trip flights on this route each week, mainly transporting international express, e-commerce packages, and general cargo, effectively meeting the cross-border logistics needs between the two regions.

Figure 3: Chicago O'Hare International Airport

       Chicago, as the third largest city in the United States, is not only an important economic center of the country, but also has a strong foundation in the fields of industry and manufacturing; Chicago O'Hare International Airport is a key aviation gateway connecting Chicago and the central United States to the world. And with the unique advantage of being the first cargo hub airport in Asia, Ezhou has become an important "air outlet" in central China. The stable operation of SF Airlines' "Ezhou=Chicago" route will help Ezhou and Chicago further unleash the potential of regional hubs, improve the efficiency of logistics supply chain connectivity between China and the United States, and inject new energy into international industry docking and economic and trade cooperation with high-quality air cargo services.

       In recent years, SF Airlines has been deeply cultivating the North American market around customer needs, and has successively opened multiple international routes from China to North American cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Halifax, etc. With the official opening of the "Ezhou=Chicago" route, SF Airlines' route layout in North America has been further improved, and a North American route map of "connecting points into lines and connecting lines into a network" has gradually taken shape. This layout will effectively enhance SF Express's service quality and market competitiveness in North America, providing more reliable and stable logistics support for Sino US economic and trade cooperation.

       As of now, the fleet size of SF Airlines' all cargo aircraft has reached 90, building a three-dimensional route network covering China, radiating to Asia, and reaching Europe and America smoothly. Next, SF Airlines will continue to integrate the dual advantages of fleet and network, accelerate the improvement of international supply chain service capabilities, and strive to provide better aviation logistics services for global customers, while injecting more logistics momentum into the new development pattern of domestic and international dual circulation.