The first all-cargo air route between China and Japan, a Tianjin-Tokyo service, opened on Wednesday morning.

At 10:55 a.m., an All Nippon Airways Boeing-767 cargo plane landed at the international airport in north China's Tianjin City,marking the official opening of the route.

According to the airport, there is one flight on this route every Wednesday until September 24. Flights increase to two a weekbetween September 24 and October 26, then three a week.

All the flights will be made by Boeing-767 cargo planes, which have a maximum payload of 187.3 tons.

Analysts believe the new air route will boost economic development in Tianjin and its neighboring areas.

( People's Daily September 13, 2002)