Urgent shipments during Chinese holidays
Air Time Critical® would like to bring your attention to the upcoming week: China, along with some other Asian countries will be celebrating the Lunar New Year. Please be aware of expected bottlenecks at airports, this year worsened by ongoing Covid-19 travel restrictions, resulting in longer transit times and higher prices. Do not hesitate to contact us in advance to secure a door-door urgent delivery to Europe.
11-17 February 2021
The Lunar New Year falls on 12 February, and it is one of the most important holidays in China. This year, the public holiday lasts from 11th to 17th February. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2021 is the year of the ox.
How do Chinese holidays affect urgent shipments? How to get ready?
Most businesses in China will be closed, including some customs offices. Other Asian countries are expected to be less affected.
Therefore, it is necessary to anticipate your shipment needs (especially urgent ones), and start dealing with them before the holidays begin. Indeed, after that it is very difficult to obtain a confirmation from airlines so pre-booking is required. Many cargo flights that would normally be available are cancelled. During the period either side of the holidays, shippers scramble for space on all flights, which results in considerable price increases.
Only via Hong Kong airport (HKG).
Shipper/Consignee needs to provide POA to our broker and provide customs documents.
Export: to get the best chance to fly before the holidays, the booking must be confirmed before the 8 February 17:00 CET (subject to space availability).
Import: in case of customs inspection or customs manifest discrepancy, the shipment will be released only after holidays.
Opening hours of customs offices (both export/import)
| Airport | 7-10 February | 11-17 February | 18-20 February | 21 February |
| Shanghai (PVG) Beijing (PEK) |
NORMAL |
09:00 – 11:00
13:30 – 15:30 |
NORMAL | 09:00 – 11:00
13:30 – 15:30 |
For more information, do not hesitate to contact us or request a quote any time. Air Time Critical® can help you organize the fastest door to door air freight solutions from China to Europe for your urgent shipments.