China-Europe Land-Air Combined Transport
China-Europe Land-Air Combined Transport is an efficient multimodal transport solution that integrates railway/truck (land) and air freight to connect China and Europe. It combines the large-capacity, cost-efficiency of land transport with the high-speed advantage of air transport, forming a stable, fast and economical corridor under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Cargo is first transported by China-Europe Railway Express or cross-border trucks from major Chinese hubs to inland airports in Northwest China (e.g., Urumqi) or Central Asian transit hubs (e.g., Tashkent), then transferred to international cargo flights to European airports (e.g., Istanbul, Frankfurt), and finally distributed to destinations across Europe.
It features 15-20 days total transit, 30%–50% lower cost than pure air freight, and higher stability than road-only transport. It is widely used for high-value, time-sensitive goods such as electronics, auto parts, e-commerce parcels and emergency supplies, creating a reliable “Air Silk Road” between China and Europe.