JD + Tianjin Air Cargo
Type of relationship: Strategic Cooperation
Launch date: Nov. 6
Description: A switch from belly-space airfreight to freighter service.
Finally confirming industry rumors regarding its strategic plans, e-commerce giant JD.com launched a 737 freighter service early last month via its logistics arm, in partnership with Tianjin Air Cargo, a subsidiary carrier of the HNA Group.
The move represents a major departure for JD, which, until now, has relied on moving airfreight in the belly holds of passenger aircraft.
If the strategy rings a bell, it may be because U.S.-based competitor Amazon executed a similar strategy by moving logistics and airfreight in house. JD Logistics now operates round-trip, six-times-weekly flights between Tianjin (TSN) and Guangzhou (CAN).