Goods are lifted to the aircraft bound for New York. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

On the evening of June 16, a B747-400 all-cargo aircraft carrying nearly 100 metric tons of goods and owned by SF Express departed from Ezhou Huahu Airport, Central China's Hubei province, bounding for New York – the largest city in the United States, and marking the start of the Ezhou-New York airline.

On May 26, the Ezhou-Los Angeles air routes began to operate, and now, Hubei has gained access to both the Northeast and West US.

By June 7, the international cargo flights that the airport opened spanned places in North America, Europe, and South Asia, and their total number had surpassed 100.

Staff members of the airport, holding a banner, pose for a group photo to celebrate the opening of the Ezhou-New York air route. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

By the end of this year, the airport is estimated to open about 40 more domestic cargo flights and four to six international ones.

It now only takes people one hour's drive from the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China) to reach the airport.