As the “Double 11” shopping frenzy sweeps through countless households, with countless orders being placed at the mere touch of a finger, another silent “battle” is quietly unfolding in air cargo transportation. At the BGS domestic cargo terminal at the Capital Airport, massive volumes of e-commerce parcels, fresh produce, clothing, shoes, and hats—these goods are converging here from all over the country, then traveling via the cargo network to reach every eager recipient. For the BGS cargo handlers, this is undoubtedly an annual “major test” that puts their ability to ensure smooth operations to the ultimate challenge.

Proactively plan ahead and solidify the “ballast stone” for safe operations.

“Clang! Clang!” — As the rhythmically precise sound of small trailers rolling into the warehouse echoed through the air, pallets of goods unloaded from various incoming flights surged into the BGS domestic cargo terminal like a tide, quickly filling up the inbound sorting area. Several staff members stepped forward with practiced ease, seamlessly dividing up the tasks: some began inspecting the outer packaging for damage, while others held cargo manifests, carefully checking each item one by one. “These days, ‘Double 11’ no longer concentrates on just one single day as it used to; instead, the shipments are evenly distributed throughout the entire period, which has eased our workload somewhat. Still, the volume of goods during the two days around November 11th has noticeably increased,” said Li Yunjie, the inbound supervisor in the cargo handling department, as he held up a checklist.

Behind the phrase “taking things in stride” lies the proactive deployment by BGS’s Freight Department. As early as early October, the Freight Department had already activated a special safeguard plan, systematically reviewing past safeguard experiences and precisely forecasting peak periods and potential bottlenecks, all while focusing on three key objectives: “mitigating risks, ensuring safety, and improving efficiency.” The department has optimized operational procedures across the entire process—from cargo reception and warehousing to assembly and delivery. Meanwhile, the newly introduced zone-based pickup model enables precise matching of customer needs with warehouse location distribution, effectively reducing customer waiting times and ensuring smooth and efficient coordination between cargo receipt, transportation, and transit, thereby significantly boosting overall throughput efficiency.

One step ahead—accelerating cargo handling.

At the operation site, an AKE air cargo container filled with cardboard boxes labeled “Hairy Crab” immediately caught everyone’s attention. Typically, seafood is thought to require cold-chain transportation—so why are multiple shipments of hairy crabs stored in containers? Xu Di, a departure-handling employee from the freight department, explained: “Right now is peak season for hairy crabs, and we’ve coordinated closely with various parties to establish a ‘fresh produce green channel,’ enabling priority loading and significantly reducing transit time. These hairy crabs may have been pulled from the water early in the morning and could reach consumers’ tables by evening, ensuring same-day or next-day delivery. By the time they arrive at your doorstep, even the built-in ice packs might still be frozen.”

It is understood that this highly time-sensitive service, known as “Express Pickup,” has become one of the key priorities for BGS’s Freight Department this year. Taking the surge in cargo volume during “Double 11” as an opportunity, the Freight Department is focusing on the core goal of accelerating growth in Express Pickup volumes and proactively engaging in in-depth communication with shippers. By maintaining regular, ongoing communication to precisely identify customer needs, strengthening collaboration across departments and companies, and establishing dedicated information-sharing groups, the department is achieving end-to-end efficiency improvements—from unloading and transportation through sorting and final pickup. With its efficient service experience, the department is committed to serving customers and the general public exceptionally well.

Forty minutes later, in the pickup area for shippers at the former cargo yard, the familiar cardboard boxes of “Hairy Crabs” once again came into view. The on-site supervisor from the shipper’s side was hurrying to assign staff to carefully pack and load the crabs onto trucks. “From the moment the flight landed to the time the goods were picked up and cleared for shipment, it took less than an hour—faster than usual,” he said as he counted the number of crates. “These crabs will be delivered to our customers tonight. Air freight really delivers!”

Collaborative operations to bridge the “last mile” of the supply chain.

Relying on individual efforts alone cannot cope with the peak of demand; collaborative teamwork is the key to victory. Compared to previous years, this year’s “Double 11” logistics support has highlighted even more prominently the advantages of cross-departmental cooperation. The Cargo Department has joined forces with the Apron Department to provide coordinated assistance, dispatching additional drivers to help move inbound goods back into the warehouse, thereby effectively reducing the time it takes for customers to pick up their items. “From the apron to the cargo warehouse, everyone is working toward the same goal—to deliver each item safely and swiftly to its intended destination,” said Yan JinGang, an employee from the Baggage Division of the Apron Department, who is responsible for transportation, after successfully delivering the goods intact to the cargo station. It is precisely this “one unified strategy” mindset that links all stages together into a highly efficient and seamless support chain.

The BGS Cargo Department also provides specialized support tailored to the needs of key clients such as Hainan Airlines, optimizing booking procedures, improving cargo consolidation efficiency, strengthening container status management, effectively mitigating transportation risks, and comprehensively enhancing the safety and efficiency of air cargo operations.

Behind the frenzied shopping spree lies a steadfast commitment to delivering. Although the relentless pace of work has left everyone looking weary, a sense of responsibility and mission continues to drive this freight team to efficiently and reliably bring each consumer’s desired goods safely and smoothly to their doorstep. As one of the on-site operators put it, “Even after work, I’m still a consumer—doesn’t everyone want their package to arrive safely and without a hitch?”

As of press time, BGS handled a peak daily cargo volume of 1,230 tons during the “Double 11” period, with a total processed cargo volume reaching 22,000 tons—a 6% increase year-on-year. BGS freight forwarders will continue to demonstrate professionalism and responsibility, providing an extra layer of steady and powerful support from the ground for this nationwide shopping extravaganza.