UPS & DHL to add flights in the U.S.
UPS and DHL both intend to add extra flights in the U.S. during the upcoming holiday peak season, and UPS will lease 10 Boeing 747s, as well as smaller aircraft to temporarily boost its fleet.
UPS plans to wet-lease 32 extra aircraft, just a couple more than it had to lease for last year’s holiday season. Included in the total are seven Boeing 747s from Evergreen, three 747s from Southern Air Transport, six DC-8s from Air Transport International and four 727-200s from Kalitta Air. Other leasing companies will also be involved. These aircraft will be used throughout the network, although most heavily on domestic U.S. routes. UPS plans to add 423 flights per day between Thanksgiving and Christmas (DAILY, Nov. 1).
DHL — which has a much smaller U.S. operation — will require more than 425 extra flights spread over the Nov. 20 to Dec. 23 period. This will give it a cumulative total of about 8,000 flights in this five-week span. DHL contracts with ABX Air and Astar Air Cargo for its air operations in the U.S.
