Bangkok--21 Nov--Hill & Knowlton
Partnership enhances TransPacific connectivity and service reliability
New network connects eight key Asian and U.S. destinations
DHL, the world’s leading express and logistics company, today announced that on Monday, October 27, DHL Express launched 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), Ohio, DHL’s central hub facility at 16:00 hrs, local time. The partnership guarantees DHL Express access to 6 Polar Air Cargo Boeing 747-400F aircraft in addition to the two B747-400F aircraft operational since Mar 31 2008 , providing significant additional capacity to eight key destinations in Asia and the U.S.
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.
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.
“Asia-US is a vitally important intercontinental trade lane. Hong Kong, China, Korea and Japan currently account for over 50% of DHL’s shipments between Asia and the US,” said Dan McHugh, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific. “With a market leading position in Asia Pacific and an extensive Asia Air Network, the TransPacific partnership significantly enhances connectivity, service reliability and on-time performance for our customers in the US and Asia Pacific.”
“Even during these challenging economic times DHL in Asia Pacific continues to invest in our world-class capabilities. We are committed to expand our No. 1 position in the express business and will invest further in international services to ensure we are able to serve our customers’ changing needs,” he added.
Charles Graham, CEO Global Aviation DHL Express, stressed the operational improvements DHL can achieve through the partnership. “We chose Polar Air Cargo as our partner for the TransPacific trade lane, mainly due to their excellent operational and on-time performance and vast experience in international air cargo,” said Graham. “These flights have been operating to an outstanding on-time arrival performance of over 96 percent, which means that almost all flights stay within a 15 minute limit of scheduled arrival time,” said Graham. Polar has recently achieved a globally recognized safety and quality standard (IOSA) following a stringent audit of its operational standards and procedures. The audit covered key areas of Polar’s operations: corporate organization and management structure; flight operations; flight dispatch; aircraft engineering and maintenance; ground handling; cargo operations; and airline security.
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.
In a move to further strengthen its leading intra-regional position in Asia, DHL Express is also increasing the frequency of its dedicated Air Hong Kong flights from Hong Kong to Nagoya, Taipei, Seoul and Singapore from October 27. Flights to these cities have been increased to six times per week, up from the current five times a week, representing a 20 per cent increase in capacity for each of these four cities.
Air Hong Kong, a joint venture between Cathay Pacific and DHL, will now operate four additional A300-600 flights on Day 6 on these routes. This represents an increased dedicated capacity of 45 tons per week on each of the four routes to serve the needs of growing intra-Asia trade
Notes to Editor
Apart from the Central Asia Hub and planned North Asia Hub, DHL has hubs in Bangkok, Incheon, Singapore and Sydney. Together, the six hubs will be linked to approximately 50 DHL Express Gateways strategically located throughout Asia Pacific, providing customers with the most extensive network infrastructure in the region and beyond.
About DHL
DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specializing in providing innovative and customized solutions from a single source.
DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight, overland transport, contract logistic solutions as well as international mail services, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL's international network links more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. Some 300,000 employees are dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customers' expectations.
DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net brand. The group generated revenues of more than 63 bn euros in 2007.
For the latest news and happenings about DHL in Asia Pacific, please visit http://press.ap.dhl.com
About DHL Thailand
DHL Thailand offers customers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions through three business units: DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Exel Supply Chain. Customers can enjoy the convenience of one-stop-shop service, from shipping documents to containers, delivered by over 5,300 DHL staff. With over 70 locations around Thailand, DHL’s services cover 76 provinces in the country. For further information, please visit our website at http://www.dhl.co.th
Press contacts:
DHL Thailand
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Ms. Orawan Chuenwiratsakul
Ms. Visa Cheawsamut
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Email: [email protected]
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