Iberico ham and sliced ham are unloaded from China Eastern Airlines flight MU262 at Wenzhou Longwan International Airport in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on Aug 20, 2026. [Photo provided by Wenzhou Longwan International Airport]

A 760-kilogram shipment of Spanish Iberico ham and sliced ham arrived at Wenzhou Longwan International Airport on a direct flight from Madrid at 5:52 pm on Aug 20, marking the airport's first direct import of the product.

The shipment, carried on China Eastern Airlines flight MU262, cleared customs on arrival. Previously, Spanish ham bound for Wenzhou, Lishui, and other parts of southern Zhejiang commonly entered China through Shanghai before continuing by refrigerated road transport.

The direct route shortened the cross-border logistics cycle by nearly 30 percent while reducing transfers that can raise costs and increase the risk of damage or quality deterioration.

Wenzhou's air cargo terminal and local customs authorities coordinated declarations, inspections, cold-chain handling, and ground services for the shipment. A designated cold-chain handling area and a closed-loop transfer process were arranged in advance.

Ji Xiangyang, head of Qingtian Dute Supply Chain, said the company plans to increase purchases of Spanish ham for the southern Zhejiang market.