By Charlotte Seet
DHL Expanding Asia-Pacific Network
In response to predicted exponential growth in shipment volume, DHL Express has increased its flight network between the Asia-Pacific, the U.S and Europe, adding flights with Kalitta Air and AeroLogic to accommodate more demand.
DHL added a couple of new Boeing 777F aircraft to its fleet with the purchase coming as part of a 14-unit order with Boeing in 2018, with the American manufacturer having already delivered 10 aircraft and the remaining four being slated to enter service in 2021.
In January, DHL ordered eight more 777Fs with the first deliveries scheduled for next year. The company believes the fleet expansion is necessitated by the rapid growth of e-commerce, with online and mobile sales expected to rocket up to $2.5 trillion in the Asia-Pacific region alone by 2024.
The newly added aircraft will be operated by Michigan-based Kalitta Air and AeroLogic, the joint venture cargo airline of DHL and Lufthansa Cargo.
Kalitta Air has operated the 777F and Boeing 747F for DHL previously between the Asia-Pacific, U.S. and European Union. Last year, the U.S Department of Transportation granted the carrier rights to operate three weekly routes between Hong Kong and Singapore under the bilateral aviation agreement with Hong Kong.
The new combination of flights will chip in approximately 2,350 additional tonnes of freight capacity every week and help to improve transit times.
Kalitta Air is currently flying five times per week from the U.S. to the DHL Express South Asia Hub in Singapore via Sydney. From Singapore, the freighter aircraft will make transit stops in Hong Kong and Japan before returning to the U.S. With the new aircraft, Kalitta Air is set to operate a new flight route that shuttles between Singapore and Sydney a total of six times a week.
Similarly, AeroLogic will also fly six times a week from Leipzig to Hong Kong and Singapore, before making a stop at Bahrain and then returning back to Leipzig, allowing for an additional 610 tonnes of capacity
Scheduling both Kalitta Air and AeroLogic flights to intersect loads in Singapore helps to place an increasing significance on the South Asia hub, which the company hopes will serve as a conduit for Oceania customers looking to expand their reach to the rest of Asia Pacific, the U.S and Europe.
The new integrated flights and additional aircraft will also help to strengthen DHL’s service offerings to its customers and facilitate cross-border commerce as it leverages Singapore’s central location, which the carrier hopes will allow it to maintain its position as the world’s leading international express service provider.
DHL’s Singapore hub is consistently evolving as a transloading center for shippers in Oceania, with exports growing in the region as Australia and New Zealand account for more than 90% of all exported goods.
“With the new routes, businesses and consumers from Australia and New Zealand can expect the transit time for their shipments to and from the U.S and Europe to improve as they look to expand their reach to the rest of Asia Pacific, the U.S and Europe,” said Ken Lee, CEO of DHL Express Asia Pacific.
Fascinated by aircraft from a very young age, Charlotte’s dream was to work alongside the big birds one day. Pursuing her dream, she went on to achieve her diploma in Aviation Management and is currently working on her degree in Aviation Business in Administration with a minor in Air Traffic Management. When she’s not busy with school assignments, you can find her aircraft spotting for long hours at the airport. In Charlotte’s heart, the Queen of the Skies will always be her favorite aircraft.
