FedEx Express adds China-India-Dubai air route

FedEx Express has expanded its air network from China and India to Dubai, taking up to two days off transit times from the Middle East to the Asia Pacific region. The company said its new five-times-per-week route would mean “significant” service improvements for Asian customers doing business in the Middle East and vice versa.

The new route runs from the company’s Asia Pacific hub in Guangzhou, southern China, passing through Mumbai before arriving at Dubai. On the return leg, the route goes through Delhi rather than Mumbai.

FedEx said the new route would mean customers in countries including the UAE, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan and Qatar would enjoy transit improvements of up to two days for certain shipping products to places across the Asia Pacific region.

David Cunningham Jr, the FedEx Express president of Asia Pacific, said the new route meant expanding access and supporting the economic development for two of the fastest-growing markets in the world.

Both regions are expected to see their economies outpacing the world’s average growth rates, with the Asia Pacific region economy expanding at 4.7% and Middle East economy 4.1% for the next 20 years according to Boeing World Air Cargo forecasts.

“We are highly attuned to the increasing needs of our customers and respond with new services which keep them at the forefront of their industries in this demanding world,” Cunningham Jr said.

Since June, FedEx has introduced various service enhancements to boost its offering in the Asian marketplace.

This has included introduction of the Extra Large Pak for larger shipments, expansion of its FedEx International Economy and FedEx International Economy Freight services with more routes inside Asia Pacific, and the deployment of a new A300-600 aircraft from South Korea into the Asia-Pacific hub in Guangzhou.