Global logistics firms battle for air superiority

Global logistics companies are battling in China's skies alongside the booming air express industries. And, the growing demand for speedier delivery is driving logistics development across China, including its smaller and more far-flung towns and cities.

China's civil aviation authorities have approved the plans of industry leader SF Express Group Co, established 23 years ago by Shun Feng Airlines, to build an airport in Ezhou, a city in central China' s Hubei province, that will be the world's fourth international air logistics hub and the first in Asia.

The firm, which had set up a strong air cargo transport net-work by 2009, has 30 aircraft, including China's first wide-body Boeing 767. And, it is set to expand its fleet as it aims to become a global logistics enterprise.