DHL Express launches TransPacific partnership with Polar Air Cargo
On Monday, October 27, DHL Express will launch its TransPacific partnership with Polar Air Cargo, a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. The inaugural flight will take off at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) with destination Wilmington (ILN) at 16:00 hrs, local time.
A Block Space Agreement (BSA) guarantees DHL Express access to 6 Polar Air Cargo Boeing 747-400F aircraft that will serve eight key destinations in Asia and the U.S. The partnership strengthens DHL’s leading position in the international express market through an improved offering on one of its major intercontinental trade lanes.
DHL will utilize Polar Air Cargo’s scheduled weekday flights from Los Angeles, Wilmington and New York via Anchorage to the Asian destinations of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. In addition, the partnership also covers an extended weekend schedule, with flights to Honolulu, Sydney, Sharjah and Leipzig. Commenting on the partnership, John Mullen, CEO DHL Express, underlined the important role that TransPacific trade plays in DHL Express’ growth strategy.
“The partnership with Polar Air Cargo enables DHL to significantly improve its Time Definite product offering and thus become more attractive to our customers on one of the world’s most important trade lanes. Moreover, we are extending our TransPacific services to also include a connection to JFK, offering a Time Definite service from Asia to the U.S. East Coast. This too will help boost our international services to and from the U.S.,” said Mullen.
Volume on DHL’s TransPacific routes has been steadily increasing in recent years and despite a slowdown in 2008, overall TransPacific air cargo volume is expected to show double digit growth in the mid-term.
