China Southern Launches 1st Dual Pre-Clearance Cargo Station

(March 6, 2025) On March 6, the inauguration of the "dual pre-clearance" cargo station in the Comprehensive Bonded Zone (South Area) of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport,  operated by China Southern Air Logistics Company, was held in Guangzhou. Guangzhou Municipal People' s Government, Civil Aviation Administration of China, Guangzhou Customs District, the Management Committee of Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone, and Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau were intited to the event. The inauguration marks the advent of the first cargo station in China to receive pre-clearance qualifications for both civil aviation security screening and customs inspection. As a creative innovation by China Southern, the dual pre-clearance cargo station creates a "highway" for cross-border logistics in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

With the surge in cross-border trade in the Greater Bay Area in recent years, enhancing the efficiency of each segment in the modern logistics network has become crucial for driving the region's rapid development. With the support and guidance of Guangzhou Municipal People's Government, Guangzhou Customs District, Civil Aviation Administration of China, and other relevant agencies, China Southern has innovatively established the nation's first "dual pre-clearance" cargo station in the Comprehensive Bonded Zone (South Area) of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

The station combines key functions such as pre-screening security checks, customs clearance, and cargo consolidation, ensuring seamless alignment between aviation safety standards and customs regulations. Moreover, by creating a digital freight ecosystem, the station aims to maximize the geographical advantages, policy incentives, and leading role of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and its Comprehensive Bonded Zone, fostering clusters of aviation industries and new business models, thereby collectively advancing the innovative growth of Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone and the Comprehensive Bonded Zone of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

The establishment of the "dual pre-clearance" cargo station is a pivotal initiative from China Southern to implement the national strategy of expediting the development of a unified and open transportation market, as well as an important measure to reduce logistics costs across society. With the opening of the station, import and export companies no longer need to endure prolonged waiting times at airport cargo terminals for inspections and security checks. The cargo can undergo all necessary security and customs procedures before reaching the airport, and then be directly transferred from the station to the aircraft loading area. This significantly reduces corporate logistics costs and enhances the speed and quality of services. Statistics indicate that this model reduces overall customs clearance time to less than three hours, improving efficiency by more than 70% compared to traditional models, and significantly boosting customs processing efficiency for imports and exports at the airport. Meanwhile, the "dual pre-clearance" cargo station will help unleash the airport' s scarce resources, and enhance port clearance service support within the Greater Bay Area. This represents a milestone in the development of Guangzhou's airport-based national logistic hub.

Through enhancing cooperation with various parties and building on its core air transportation business, China Southern will strategically expand its services at both the start and the end points of air transport by leveraging its transport capacity. This strategy aims to continuously improve the connectivity and cluster influence of international and regional aviation hubs, bolster support capabilities for international passenger and cargo transport at airports, and facilitate the development of the "Air Silk Road", thus contributing to the overseas expansion of Chinese brands.