'Aerial Silk Road' Drives Henan's Opening-up Efforts

'Aerial Silk Road' Drives Henan's Opening-up Efforts

飞出“新丝路”

 

On the desk sits a model of Cargolux's cargo flight, which Bettel, prime minister of Luxembourg, calls the "national treasure". 8,249 kilometers away, a B747-400F all-cargo flight painted with "City of Zhengzhou" (prototype of the model) sits on the parking apron of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (Zhengzhou Airport) with engines roaring, and is ready to take off.

在卢森堡首相贝泰尔的办公桌上，摆放着一架卢森堡货航飞机模型，他将其称为“国宝”。8249公里之外，这件“国宝”的真实版，一架喷涂着“郑州号”的B747-400F全货机正停在郑州机场停机坪，引擎轰鸣、蓄势待飞。

An all-cargo flight operated by Cargolux at Zhengzhou Airport. [Photo: Deng Fang/Henan Daily]

At 2:21 am on May 13, loaded with 1.02 million test kits and medical supplies, it (CV9752) left Zhengzhou for Budapest. To support the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the "Zhengzhou-Luxembourg" international cargo route has never stopped operation.

5月13日凌晨2点21分，这架满载货物的CV9752航班货机从郑州直飞布达佩斯，将102万个新冠病毒检测试剂盒等防疫物资运往欧洲。支援全球抗疫，“郑州—卢森堡”这条国际货运航线从未停止飞行。

 

In June 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping reached an important consensus with Bettel for further cooperation in finance and production capacity under the Belt and Road Initiative and construction of the "Aerial Silk Road" from Zhengzhou to Luxembourg.

2017年6月14日，国家主席习近平在会见贝泰尔时指出，要深化双方在“一带一路”建设框架内金融和产能等合作，中方支持建设郑州—卢森堡“空中丝绸之路”。

 

"Now, this route has become a vital lifeline for Luxembourg and other European countries, which is not only an air bridge for timely help, but also a road of friendship connecting all countries in the world." Four years later, Bettel gave the highest praise for the "Aerial Silk Road".

“如今，这条航线已经成为卢森堡及欧洲其他地区的生命线，不仅是雪中送炭的空中桥梁，更是连接世界各国的友谊之路。”四年后，贝泰尔为“空中丝绸之路”给出了最高赞赏。

 

With the "Aerial Silk Road", we make more breakthroughs.

这条路上，河南走出“第一次”——

 

With the acquisition of 35 percent of Cargolux Airlines International by Henan Civil Aviation Development & Investment Co., Ltd., Henan has boosted its first international first-class all-cargo airline.

河南航投收购卢森堡货航35%的股权，第一次拥有国际一流的全货运航空公司；

 

With the launch of the "Luxembourg-Zhengzhou-Chicago" route, Henan has boosted its first intercontinental air freight route with the Fifth Freedom.

开通“卢森堡—郑州—芝加哥”航线，第一次拥有利用第五航权开通的洲际货运航线；

 

With the cooperation with Avia, the world's largest trader of regional jets, for the establishment of financial leasing company, Henan has boosted its first professional financial leasing company.

与全球最大支线客机贸易商阿维亚合作组建融资租赁公司，第一次拥有专业飞机融资租赁公司；

 

With the inauguration of Luxembourg Tourism Visa Delivery Service (Zhengzhou), Henan has boosted its first service platform for applying for tourism visas to Luxembourg in Henan.

设立卢森堡旅游签证（郑州）便捷服务平台，第一次拥有外国驻豫签证服务平台；

 

With the operation of BAA (China) Training Center, Henan has boosted its first pilot training institution for air freight.

建设BAA（中国）航空培训中心，第一次拥有运输航空飞行训练机构……

 

With the "Aerial Silk Road", we run faster.

这条路上，河南跑出“加速度”——

 

"I still remember that all those bronzes were excavated at the Erlitou site." When referring to the "Origin of Chinese Civilization - Exhibition of Cultural Heritage Treasures in Henan", Vincent Hieff, consul general of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Shanghai, still vividly remembered his experience with such a route. In November 11, 2018, 145 pieces (sets) of cultural relics unearthed in Henan were transported to Europe by Cargolux's cargo flight, becoming a batch of unique "treasure passengers" shining on the "Aerial Silk Road".

“我还记得那些青铜器都是二里头遗址发掘的。”提起“华夏文明之源——河南文物珍宝展”，卢森堡驻上海总领事贺文晟记忆犹新。2018年11月，145件（组）河南出土的文物，搭乘卢货航的飞机飞赴欧洲，成为“空中丝路”上独具魅力的“珍宝乘客”。

 

At the National Museum of History and Art (Luxembourg), visitors can experience the brilliant Chinese civilization, while on the shelves of Zhengzhou's supermarkets, quality products from all over the world are popular. Cherries from Chile, beer from Germany, health products from Australia, etc., have become common among the citizens in Zhengzhou.

在卢森堡国家历史与艺术博物馆里可以感受华夏文明，在郑州进口超市的货架上则摆满了来自全世界的优质商品。智利车厘子、德国啤酒、澳大利亚保健品等，已成为郑州市民的日常消费品。

 

Wieger Ketellapper, vice president of Cargolux, has calculated the logistics time, "It usually takes about two hours to upload and unload the goods." The "No. 1 currency" in international trade is time, and just two hours is enough to move the world in and out of here.

卢森堡货航副总裁维格·卡特莱珀“掐算”过：“货物满载满卸大概用两个小时。”国际贸易的“头号货币”是时间，短短两个小时，足够在这里把世界运进来，再把世界运出去。

 

With the "Aerial Silk Road", we make more friends.

这条路上，河南扩大“朋友圈”——

 

A promising figure: In the first two months of 2021, Cargolux Airlines International totally made 107 trips hitting a record high of 21.3 thousand tons of cargo throughput with a year-on-year increase of 228.1 percent on the Zhengzhou-Luxembourg international freight route.

一组数据令人振奋：今年1至2月，卢森堡货航郑州航线累计执飞航班107班，货运量约2.13万吨，同比增长228.1%，创下历史同期最高纪录。

 

With the joint efforts of Henan Civil Aviation Development & Investment Co., Ltd and Cargolux Airlines International, an air freight network taking Zhengzhou as its center and covering the whole world is being continuously improved. Cargolux has extended its cargo flights' trips from 2 every week to 14 at Zhengzhou Airport with 8 air freight routes to Luxembourg, London, Budapest, Chicago, Atlanta, Milan, etc., covering 14 cities and major developed economies around the world.

在河南航投和卢森堡货航的共同努力下，以郑州为中心、覆盖全球的航空货运网络正在不断完善。卢森堡货航在郑州机场的定期航班也由开航初期的每周2班加密至目前的每周14班，开通卢森堡、伦敦、布达佩斯、芝加哥、亚特兰大、米兰等8条货运航线，“朋友圈”覆盖全球14个城市和主要发达经济体。

 

With the wider "Aerial Silk Road", the world is getting closer to Henan. Such an "Aerial Silk Road" is a key to understand an open Henan.

世界到河南的距离越“走”越近，河南到世界的路越“飞”越广。读懂了这条“空中丝路”，也就读懂了开放的河南。（中文来源/河南日报 翻译/赵汉青 审校/陈行洁）