SHENZHEN's SF Airlines has launched a new air cargo route between Urumqi in northwest China and Islamabad in Pakistan to meet demand for cross-border e-commerce, reports London's Air Cargo News.

The first flight from Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was carried out on March 4 using a Boeing 757-200 freighter, said SF Airlines, part of the SF Express Group.

The airline said the route will operate twice a week, "providing over 110 tons of air transport capacity to and from Urumqi to Islamabad every week".

SF Airlines added that the route "will build an efficient and stable air logistics channel for Xinjiang products to go overseas".

With the launch of the Urumqi-Islamabad route, SF Airlines has grown to three cities in Pakistan, covering its capital and largest city Karachi and second largest city Lahore, in addition to Islamabad.

SF Airlines plans to continue focusing on expanding its international route network and supply chains.

SF Airlines has a total of 88 aircraft in service, made up of 16 Boeing 737Fs, four Boeing 747Fs, 41 Boeing 757Fs and 21 Boeing 767Fs.