DHL Express, the world's leading international express services provider, has made significant enhancements to its intercontinental and intra-Asian service offering. The introduction of additional wide-bodied aircraft to DHL's global aviation network, coupled with adjustments to its intra-Asian connections, has opened up service benefits for customers on key trade lanes, particularly between the Americas and Asia. These enhancements will be launched by the end of April 2013.
Stephen Fenwick, CEO, DHL Express Americas, said: 'A new direct connection from DHL's Americas Hub to Japan, as well as links between Japan and the broader Asia Pacific region, will further support the many customers in the U.S., Canada and Latin America who are exploiting trade opportunities across the Pacific. The U.S- Australia trade lane, for example, grew at over 13%' in 2012. The additional frequencies we are adding on this lane will ensure that trade between these two countries can continue to flourish over the coming years. These changes are aimed directly at responding to the market, improving DHL's service to our customers throughout the Americas to Asia Pacific.'
The first major network enhancement will be the introduction of a direct connection between Japan and DHL's Americas Hub in Cincinnati, Ohio. A daily flight from the Japanese industrial city of Nagoya to Cincinnati will establish a next-day delivery service to the U.S. for all locations directly serviced by DHL in Japan. A return connection between Cincinnati and Tokyo will enable a two-day delivery capability to the Japanese capital and surrounding metropolitan areas for shippers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Latin America. Both routes will be serviced by Boeing 747-400 aircraft with a capacity of over 100 tons.
A second enhancement will see DHL double the frequency of its wide-bodied freighter connections to Australia from two to four days per week. By optimizing its intercontinental network and routing shipments via Japan, it will be able to reinforce its U.S.-Australia connection, while at the same time offering additional and strategically timed daily capacity from key North Asian markets into Australia. This route will be supported by the introduction of two new Boeing 767-300ERF wide-bodied freighters with a capacity of over 55 tons.
Additionally, a new wide-bodied freighter flight will link the Taiwanese capital Taipei, Incheon, Korea, and Nagoya, Japan, reinforcing express connections within the region. By connecting to the Nagoya-Cincinnati service, it will also provide additional capacity for customers shipping to the U.S. from all three Asian markets.
'DHL is constantly seeking to optimize its global network in order to deliver additional value for our customers,' said Charlie Dobbie, Executive Vice President, Global Network Operations, DHL Express. 'With the launch of our North Asia Hub, the expansion of our Americas Hub in Cincinnati and significant investments in our intercontinental air fleet in 2012, we significantly reinforced DHL's high quality service proposition for customers trading between the Americas and Asia. The latest changes build further on this platform, adding capacity and transit time improvements to meet our customers' growth needs and exceed their service expectations.'
