CUSTOMS officials in Shenyang and at Beijing airport have agreed to launch a joint air-trucking service between the two Chinese cities.

Under the terms of this agreement, Air China Cargo will provide airlift for cargo carried via this new intermodal service.

Cargo flown in to Beijing airport will then be transported by truck to Taoxian Airport in Shenyang. Cargo owners will then only have to go through customs clearance at Shenyang airport before picking up their goods, which is expected to save shippers time and money.

This intermodal service has been introduced as Shenyang airport''s limited facilities have meant that cargo airlines are unable to use it and passenger aircraft departing from Shenyang have inadequate belly hold space to accommodate additional cargo shipments.

As a result, companies based in Liaoning province have had to turn to larger airports like Beijing to handle excess cargo, according to comments made by Dong Yan, the Director of the Shenyang airport customs office, in a Xinhua report.

In a related development, a similar intermodal service has been inaugurated between Beijing airport and Liaoning''s neighbouring province of Jilin, after the first batch of cargo flown in to Beijing airport was transported directly by container lorries to Jilin.

As with Shenyang airport, Jilin''s various airport facilities are also limited and therefore unable to accommodate cargo airlines.

This had resulted in air cargo shipments in the past being flown to Beijing first and then transited in the baggage holds of passenger planes, or transported by rail to the province, which the news agency said was expensive and time consuming.