DHL expands global trade routes
DHL Express will boost trade between the US-Middle East and AsPac-US routes by launching a series of next-day intercontinental flights. The operator hopes the flights will help meet increased demand as it looks to expand its global capabilities.
A Boeing 747-400F plane, operated by Polar Air Cargo, will now connect the DHL Cincinnati (CVG) hub with the Bahrain (BAH) and Hong Kong (HK) hubs – providing additional cargo capacity of 80 tons.
The flight – which launched yesterday (Tuesday) – will shorten delivery times for DHL customers by as much as one full day for shipments from the US to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Ian Clough, CEO for DHL Express US, said: “These ongoing improvements in the connectivity of our US operation along key trade lanes like the Middle East ensures continued service excellence for our customers while paving the way for profitable growth.”
Clough added that by being positioned in Bahrain, a key entry point to the Middle East, the new route will provide additional capacity and quicker transportation for US exporters operating in the Oil & Gas, Technology, and Communications industries.
From Monday (6 June), a new 747-400F now connects Bahrain to Hong Kong, enabling customers to enjoy a later pick up time out of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta for overnight service to North America on the new flight’s final leg from Hong Kong to Cincinnati.
“In upgrading our global infrastructure we are delivering on our promise to be the world’s leading international cross-border express brand,” said Ken Allen, CEO of DHL Express. “We are thereby helping our customers get their goods significantly faster to their markets and making it easier for companies to access key industrial production centres.”
DHL entered the Middle East in 1976, and claims to be the only courier company in the region operating its own interregional air network with over 150 intra-regional flights each week.
As the first international air express carrier to provide service to Iraq and Afghanistan, DHL also provides service to the US Department of Defense at these locations and around the globe based on its service capabilities and “first in market” approach provided in support of US servicemen and women, the company said.
