A B757 freighter carrying general merchandise, equipment and accessories departed from Harbin Taiping International Airport in Harbin, the capital city of China's northernmost Heilongjiang province, to Moscow in Russia on May 10.

It marked the official operation of Harbin's first direct cargo flight from Harbin to Moscow.

The flight is operated by a subsidiary of Heilongjiang Transport Investment Co. 

The cargo plane carries 35 metric tons of cargo per shift and delivers five shifts per week. It is expected to fly 155 flights throughout the year, which can meet the efficient transportation needs of various types of goods.

Officials from Harbin's municipal commerce bureau said that the newly opened cargo flight is the city's second cargo flight to Russia, following the opening of a special e-commerce goods flight in 2013.

Opening the new cargo flight is an important measure for Harbin to build itself into a central city for China-Russia cooperation and an international aviation hub.

Harbin is located at the intersection of North American air routes and polar air routes. It is an ideal stopover point from China to North America. The city's airport is also the closest international airport in Northeast China to North American and European areas.

The Linkong Economic Zone near the Harbin airport is accelerating its development related to aviation guarantee services, aviation logistics, aviation manufacturing, the digital economy, aviation tourism and leisure, as well as modern aviation services.