Hong Kong Air Cargo Industry Services Limited has extended its SuperLink China Direct logistics service to Vietnam, opening a new road and air cargo route that moves shipments from the Southeast Asian country through mainland China to Hong Kong International Airport.
The expansion gives Vietnamese exporters another way to reach international markets, combining bonded road transport across borders with access to Hong Kong’s extensive air cargo network. Hacis, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited, said the new connection would also create opportunities to bring additional cargo traffic through Hong Kong.
The service marks the first time SuperLink China Direct has been extended beyond mainland China.
New route links Vietnam with Hong Kong
SuperLink China Direct is a scheduled customs bonded road freight service operated by Hacis. It connects Hong Kong International Airport with major mainland Chinese cities, allowing cargo to move by road under customs control before reaching the airport for onward air transportation.
The extension to Vietnam adds a new international link to that existing network.
Under the new arrangement, cargo can travel by truck from Vietnam into mainland China before continuing to Hong Kong. Once the shipments reach Hong Kong International Airport, exporters can connect them with international air cargo services serving destinations around the world.
Hacis developed the new route through a trial conducted under the Single E lock Scheme, working with Vietnamese logistics company U&I Logistics Corporation.
The trial provided an opportunity for the companies to test the cross border movement of cargo under the new arrangement before expanding the service.
Trial shipment travels through Guangxi
The pilot shipment began its journey in Vietnam.
A truck carried the cargo from Vietnam to Wuzhou in Guangxi, a mainland Chinese city that served as the connection point for the next stage of the journey.
From Wuzhou, the shipment continued to Hong Kong using Hacis’ customs bonded road freight service.
The route demonstrates how cargo can move across multiple jurisdictions while remaining within a controlled logistics system. Instead of sending the shipment directly by sea or arranging separate air transport from Vietnam, the new service combines road transportation with Hong Kong’s air cargo infrastructure.
For exporters, that creates another option when deciding how to move goods to overseas customers.
The trial also allowed Hacis and U&I Logistics to test the practical operation of the route, including the movement of cargo across the Vietnam mainland China border and its onward transfer into Hong Kong.
Alternative to traditional sea and air transport
The new service is aimed at Vietnamese companies that need access to international markets but may require alternatives to conventional shipping routes.
Sea freight can provide large cargo capacity, while direct air freight can offer faster delivery but at a higher cost. The road and air combination creates another option between those established methods.
Cargo can travel by road from Vietnam into mainland China and then continue to Hong Kong for connection to the international air cargo network.
Hacis said the arrangement would give Vietnamese exporters and international shippers greater flexibility when planning cross border movements.
The company also sees the route as a way to strengthen commercial links between Vietnam, mainland China and Hong Kong.
For Hong Kong, the expansion provides a potential source of additional cargo for the city’s airport and logistics network. Shipments arriving through the new road connection can be transferred into the airport’s existing international freight system.
U&I Logistics welcomes new connection
U&I Logistics Corporation worked with Hacis on the trial and described the arrangement as a new route for Vietnamese businesses seeking access to international markets.
The company said the collaboration creates an option beyond traditional sea and air transportation by allowing goods to travel overland through mainland China and Hong Kong before connecting with international destinations.
The route could be particularly useful for companies seeking greater choice in how they move goods across borders.
The companies have not indicated that the new service will replace existing sea or air freight routes. Instead, it adds another transportation option that exporters can consider depending on shipment requirements, destination and timing.
The cooperation also gives logistics providers in Vietnam another connection to Hong Kong’s international cargo network.
Hong Kong airport gains another cargo connection
Hong Kong International Airport is a major part of the city’s logistics infrastructure, and Hacis operates cargo handling services linked to the airport.
By extending SuperLink China Direct to Vietnam, Hacis is effectively connecting another national market with the airport through a road based feeder route.
The arrangement could also help cargo operators combine road transport with air freight without requiring the shipment to begin its international journey at a Vietnamese airport.
The first trial shipment passed through Wuzhou before reaching Hong Kong, showing how mainland Chinese logistics infrastructure can form part of the route between Vietnam and the international air cargo system.
Hacis said the service has the potential to expand beyond Vietnam and develop connections with other parts of Asia.
Such expansion would depend on future demand and the practical arrangements required to move cargo across additional borders.
Single E lock Scheme supports cross border movement
The successful trial was carried out under the Single E lock Scheme, which forms part of the arrangements supporting the movement of bonded cargo.
Electronic locking systems can help logistics operators and authorities monitor shipments as they move between locations, while maintaining the integrity of cargo during transportation.
For a route involving Vietnam, mainland China and Hong Kong, maintaining control over shipments during each stage is particularly important.
The trial gave Hacis and U&I Logistics an opportunity to demonstrate that the road connection could operate within the required customs and logistics framework.
The shipment’s journey from Vietnam to Wuzhou and then onward to Hong Kong provided a practical test of the new route rather than relying only on a proposed operating model.
Potential for wider Asian network
Hacis said the Vietnam connection could eventually form part of a broader network covering other Asian markets.
For exporters, wider road and air links could create additional ways to connect regional manufacturing centres with international destinations.
The immediate focus remains the new Vietnam route, which has now moved beyond the trial stage and established a new connection with Hong Kong’s air cargo system.
The service also strengthens the role of mainland China and Hong Kong as transit points for regional cargo moving between Southeast Asia and global markets.
For Vietnamese exporters, the new route provides another choice when arranging international shipments. For Hacis, it extends a service that previously focused on mainland China into a wider cross border logistics network.
The first shipment from Vietnam through Wuzhou to Hong Kong has established the route. The next step will be determining how widely exporters and logistics companies use the new connection.
Could this new road and air route change how Vietnamese exporters reach international markets?