TIANJIN - Chinese private courier Shanghai YTO Express's airline subsidiary launched a chartered international cargo route from Tianjin, China to Astana, Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

The first batch of cargo was 21 tons of electronics air-shipped from Tianjin to Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, the Tianjin Binhai International Airport said.

The service is YTO Airlines' first international route, which will be followed by more cargo routes from Tianjin to Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, the airline operator said.

The service is part of the company's expanding logistics and supply chain network in cities along the Belt and Road, it said.

Tianjin airport offers cargo service to 121 cities, including 93 domestic and 28 overseas cities.