"Airside Direct-Access" Supervision Model Implemented at Ningbo Airport Port of Entry

China Inspection and Quarantine Times–Recently, a shipment originating in Xi'an was cleared by Ningbo Airport Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs. The goods were then transferred directly from the domestic flight unloading area to the international flight loading area at the airport's airside, completing the process in less than half an hour. The consignment, consisting of 434 kilograms of opt couplers, was subsequently loaded onto a connecting flight destined for Budapest, Hungary.

The seamless export of this shipment signals the official launch of the "Airside Direct-Access" supervision model at the Ningbo Airport Port of Entry, the first of its kind in Zhejiang Province.

This supervision model is a key customs initiative designed specifically to boost the efficiency of airport operations and facilitate cross-border trade. Under this model, export goods transitioning from domestic to international routes can move directly via the airside channel, transferring from the domestic cargo storage area to the international export zone. This establishes a seamless "cargo terminal-to-cargo terminal" transfer path within the airport facility. Estimates suggest this system can increase customs clearance efficiency for single shipments by over 80% and reduce logistics costs by approximately 30%, significantly enhancing overall port operational turnover.

"The high value of these high-precision instruments we're exporting makes us concerned about potential damage from multiple transfers and handling," stated Guo Changming, an employee at Shaanxi Aisheng International Logistics Co., Ltd."The 'Airside Direct-Access' supervision model has helped us mitigate this risk, saving significant time and logistics costs. It's essentially streamlined operations within the airport, drastically boosting our export efficiency."

Prior to the introduction of the supervision model, cargo had to go through several stages, including retrieval from a domestic air cargo terminal(ACT), external road transport to an international ACT, and a second security screening. These multiple steps resulted in goods "backtracking," which affected companies' ability to handle orders with tight delivery deadlines. Furthermore, repeated loading and unloading increased the risk of damage to goods, leading to higher spoilage rates for fragile items and resulting in losses for businesses.

Addressing the drawbacks of traditional clearance procedures, Ningbo Airport Customs, in collaboration with civil aviation authorities, security inspection agencies, and Ningbo Xiangying Company, jointly developed a comprehensive security plan, optimized the supervision process, and conducted clearance safeguard tests, successfully implementing the "Airside Direct-Access" supervision model in Ningbo. The Customs office assigned dedicated personnel to monitor logistics and information flow across all stages, utilizing the Ningbo Customs' Smart Airport logistics system and video surveillance to ensure effective cargo supervision, thereby facilitating the export of goods under the "Airside Direct-Access" model. In addition, Ningbo Xiangying Company proactively planned and efficiently executed the seamless transmission of cargo manifests and cargo handover, enabling "single loading/unloading and single warehousing." This significantly improved the efficiency of the entire logistics chain and provides enhanced service protection for high-value cargo shipments.

The implementation of the supervision model significantly enhances the flexibility of air freight logistics, which is vital for boosting the appeal and competitiveness of the Ningbo Airport Port of Entry. A representative from Ningbo Xiangying Company stated, "We will continuously improve our 'standardized plus customized' support system, deepen collaborative efforts with Customs and all relevant parties, and collectively drive the reform of Ningbo Airport to achieve 'optimal service, lowest cost, and highest efficiency.' This contributes the airport's strength to the province's efforts to advance high-level opening-up and build a strategically open and strong province."

"We will continue to explore innovative supervision models, leveraging the 'airside direct-access' supervision model at the airport port of entry in addition to multimodal transport services such as 'air-to-air transit' and 'air-to-land intermodal transport.' This will constantly optimize the port of entry's business environment and support the development of the 'Air Silk Road', "said an official from the Logistics Monitoring Section of Ningbo Airport Customs.

(By Yu Zheng, Hu Bobo, He Yixing, and Huang Jiahui)