Booming trade between China and North America has led one firm in Harbin, Heilongjiang province to introduce a scheduled weekly cargo flight between the city and Los Angeles.

Manhattan Multi-element Group, a Harbin-based service provider to the energy, real estate and finance sectors, has organized the new cargo service to meet the growing demands for airfreight services between the two countries.

It is the first direct cargo flight linking Northeast China with North America.

The first cargo flight to serve the new Harbin-Los Angeles route touched down around 02:00 at Harbin Taiping International Airport on May 29. The flight had carried around 30 tons of goods on its 11.5-hour journey.

The inaugural flight was served using a Boeing 777F, operated by China Southern Airlines. The special freighter aircraft is capable of carrying more than 100 tons of cargo each flight. And when the new service is fully up and running, average freight volume is expected to total around 80 tons.

At present, the service will be targeted at bringing in imported goods such as household supplies, healthcare products, and items for new mothers. However, in the future, the service is expected to carry parcels and perishable items.

Harbin, neighboring Russia and the Korean Peninsula, aims to develop itself into an international transportation hub by taking advantage of its strategic geographic location. With good air and rail connections to Russia, Harbin is expected to play an important role in regional cross-border transportation, and with the opening of the new Los Angeles cargo service, Harbin is truly going global.

A Boeing 777F aircraft is pictured at Harbin Taiping International Airport on May 29, following an 11 .5-hour journey from Los Angeles. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Staff members at Harbin Taiping International Airport unload goods from a cargo aircraft that arrived from Los Angeles on May 29. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Cargo pallets pictured inside a Boeing 777F aircraft on May 29. [Photo/Chinanews.com]