A cargo freighter loaded with goods, including anti-epidemic supplies, daily necessities, and cross-border e-commerce commodities, departs from Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on May 26 for Budapest, capital of Hungary. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

A cargo freighter loaded with goods, including anti-epidemic supplies, daily necessities, and cross-border e-commerce commodities, departed from Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on May 26 for Budapest, capital of Hungary.

The flight was Ningbo's first direct cargo flight to Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC).

Operated by China Eastern Airlines, the freighter route connecting Ningbo and Budapest is scheduled to operate two flights a week, with a maximum capacity of 35 metric tons per flight.

The first flight departs from Ningbo on Monday morning and flies back to the city on Tuesday morning, while the second flight goes on a round trip from Friday to Saturday.

In the first six months, air freight agents from Ningbo will be responsible for arranging 60 to 70 percent of cargo volume transported during the first flight's round trip.

In recent years, Ningbo has seen a robust increase in its trade with CEEC.

The trade volume between Ningbo and CEEC amounted to 11.96 billion yuan ($1.84 billion) in the first four months of this year, a year-on-year growth of 48.8 percent.

Specifically, the city's imports surged 241.2 percent to 2.69 billion yuan.

Hungary is Ningbo's fifth largest trading partner among CEEC. 

The opening of the cargo routeg will better serve the second China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair, which is slated to be held in the city from June 8 to 11, as well as bolster Ningbo's campaign to build itself into a demonstration zone for China-CEEC economic and trade cooperation.