DHL Express has made significant enhancements to its intercontinental and intra-Asian service offering. The introduction of additional wide-bodied aircraft to DHL’s global aviation network, coupled with adjustments to its intra-Asian connections, has opened up service benefits for customers on key trade lanes, particularly between the Americas and Asia. These enhancements will be launched by the end of April 2013.
Jerry Hsu, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific, said: “The integration and strategic scheduling of additional highly efficient freighter aircraft into our network will directly benefit a large number of markets across three continents. Trade between Asia and the US is predicted to grow 10% per annum up to 2020. We are improving service and adding capacity between Asia and the US to support the continued two-way growth we see on the world’s biggest trade lane. By providing more capacity and connections, DHL is helping customers capitalize on this potential.”
The first major network enhancement will be the introduction of a direct connection between Japan and DHL’s Americas Hub in Cincinnati, United States. A daily flight from the Japanese industrial city of Nagoya to Cincinnati will establish a next-day delivery service to the US for all locations directly serviced by DHL in Japan. A return connection between Cincinnati and Tokyo will enable a two-day delivery capability to the Japanese capital and surrounding metropolitan areas for shippers in the US, Canada and Latin America. Both routes will be serviced by Boeing 747-400 aircraft with a capacity of over 100 tons.
A second enhancement will see DHL double the frequency of its wide-bodied freighter connections to Australia from two to four days per week. By optimizing its intercontinental network and routing shipments via Japan, it will be able to reinforce its daily US-Australia connection, while at the same time offering additional and strategically timed daily capacity from key North Asian markets into Australia. This route will be supported by the introduction of two new Boeing 767-300ERF wide-bodied freighters with a capacity of over 55 tons.
Additionally, a new wide-bodied freighter flight will link Taipei, Incheon (Korea) and Nagoya (Japan), reinforcing express connections within the region. By connecting to the Nagoya-Cincinnati service, it will also provide additional capacity for customers shipping to the US from all three Asian markets.
Sean Wall, Senior Vice President of network operations and aviation, DHL Express Asia Pacific, said: “The network developments will allow later handover times for shipments to the US from three of Asia’s major markets – Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The changes will enable next-day delivery capabilities to the US for all locations serviced by DHL in Japan. We are also significantly improving our connectivity to Japan and Australia. Beyond these benefits, this investment will provide a platform for continued growth within Asia Pacific itself.”
The Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767-300ERF wide-bodied aircraft will be operated by DHL partner airline Polar Air Cargo Worldwide.
