From November 3 to 4, the 18th China-Latin America Entrepreneurs Summit co-sponsored by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the People's Government of Henan Province was held in Zhengzhou, Henan. In addition to the fields of new energy, equipment manufacturing, and smart agriculture, the cooperation between Henan and Latin American countries has also been a hot area in recent years. During the summit, the China-Latin America air cargo hub and cross-border trade dialogue will be held.

As an important province in the Central Plains, Henan's air transportation industry has developed rapidly in recent years, and Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport has become one of the eight regional aviation hubs in the country. As of October 2025, the airport has opened direct flights with more than 170 cities around the world, and can also cover many cities around the world through connecting flights, including Mexico City, an important aviation hub in Latin America, and can cover many cities in Latin America through Mexico City and Miami.

Today, with the deepening of China-Latin America supply chain cooperation, air transportation has increasingly become an important starting point for China-Latin America industrial cooperation, and Henan, with its accessibility advantages, has increasingly become an important window for cooperation between China and Latin America's aviation industry. At present, the cooperation between Henan and Latin American countries in the field of aviation industry has begun to show results.

In January 2025, Henan Zhongyu Aviation Group signed an agreement with Aosheng Cargo Airlines of Mexico to open and encrypt the cargo route from Zhengzhou to Mexico City, with Mexico as the hub to expand the shipping network between Henan and Latin America. In the early morning of January 12, Aosheng Airlines transported three kinds of fresh lobsters imported from Mexico to Zhengzhou through the flight, which was the first time that Henan imported lobsters from Mexico. In the future, Aosheng Airlines also plans to expand the route to one daily flight. In April, Shentong International cooperated with Calita Airlines to open a special cross-border e-commerce flight from Zhengzhou to Mexico City to support the development of China's cross-border e-commerce industry in Mexico.

However, with the changes of global trade pattern, supply chain structure and international logistics network, the air transport industry cooperation between Henan and Latin America is facing a new environmental test. For this reason, we must proceed from the existing advantages, in-depth examination of the risks that may be encountered in the process of cooperation, and give targeted solutions.

First of all, the changes in the global trade environment have brought challenges to the cooperation between Henan and Latin American countries in the air transport industry. For example, the abolition of the low-price tax exemption policy in the United States has a direct impact on the development of China's cross-border e-commerce logistics, thus impacting the Henan-Latin America air transport channel, which currently takes cross-border e-commerce logistics as an important carrier. At the same time, regional hubs such as Singapore, Dubai and Mexico City are strengthening their key role as international logistics hubs, which puts forward higher requirements for Zhengzhou, Henan Province, as an international logistics hub.

Second, the complexity of the Latin American market itself poses challenges. Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries of the aviation and logistics market performance is not the same. At the same time, air cargo infrastructure in many Latin American countries is still weak, and airport cargo facilities, cold chain systems, and process efficiency have not yet been fully improved. Under such circumstances, it is not easy to fully undertake the demand of Latin American air transport market. In addition, competition in the market is intensifying, with the rapid expansion of large local airlines in Latin America, as well as low-cost airlines and logistics companies, taking advantage of geography and local experience, raising the barriers to entry for external partners.

Third, from the perspective of cooperation between Henan and Latin America, we must also face the deep integration of capacity matching, route stability and trade matching. Although Henan already has the conditions of a freight hub, it still needs to optimize the supply structure, improve the efficiency of transit, strengthen the cold chain and professional service capabilities in the intercontinental cooperation. In addition, the cultural and linguistic differences between Henan and Latin America, the local regulatory environment, and the complexity of customs processes may also be constraints. For example, when Latin America imports high-quality fresh food from China or exports local specialty products, if the local airport and logistics system do not handle it properly, logistics costs and risks will increase significantly. Therefore, in the process of opening up the Latin American market, Henan should take into account the expansion of scale and the improvement of efficiency, so as to avoid the trap of "large quantity and small profit.

Therefore, it is suggested to promote the air transport cooperation between Henan and Latin America from the following aspects:

first, improve the route network layout. On the basis of consolidating the existing freight routes, we will actively open direct passenger routes to Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and other major Latin American cities, and optimize the allocation of cargo resources for the belly cabin of passenger aircraft. In addition, it is seeking a fifth traffic license to build a complete route network covering major Latin American economies.

Second, strengthen the construction of aviation hub function. Encrypt cargo flights to Latin American hubs (such as Mexico City), and gradually open cargo channels to Brazil, Chile, Argentina and other places; deploy overseas cargo terminal networks in major Latin American cities; focus on the development of cold chain, dangerous goods transportation and other specialized freight capabilities to create differentiated competitive advantages.

Third, promote the coordinated development of industries. Include aviation maintenance, training, simulation equipment research and development and manufacturing, aviation financial services, etc. into the cooperation map; support the development of the Latin American aviation industry through financial instruments such as aircraft leasing and green bonds; build aviation simulation industry clusters and expand the entire industry chain cooperation in the Latin American market.

Fourth, the layout of cooperation in emerging areas. Develop a low-altitude economy and promote the joint development model of manned and unmanned flight; promote green aviation and invest in sustainable aviation fuels and environmental protection technologies; and strengthen exchanges between China and Latin America in the fields of tourism, education and culture through air transport, and enhance industrial integration and human connectivity.

Henan air transport industry is at a key node on the road of cooperation with the Latin American market. With the hub advantage of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, the growth momentum of cross-border e-commerce, the trend of regional economic integration, and the policy support of China-Latin America relations, Henan has the potential to become a global aviation logistics hub. However, challenges such as changes in the trade environment, infrastructure gaps, market competition and the industry's own benefits cannot be ignored.

Facing the future, the air transport cooperation between Henan and Latin America should not be limited to the role of "porters", but should become an important channel for the industrial "chain" between the two places, even between China and Latin America. Henan should upgrade the "air transport corridor" to an "industrial corridor", make all-round efforts in route layout, hub construction and industrial coordination, export the whole chain of cold chain, maintenance, training, finance and low-altitude economy, get rid of the trap of "large quantity and small profit", promote the in-depth integration of central China represented by Henan into the global industrial chain, and give full play to the maximum efficiency of the air transport corridor between Henan and Latin America.