FedEx Express has announced the launch of a new flight offering the first overnight express linkbetween India and China. The five times per week Delhi to Shanghai flight, operated with an MD—11
freighter, is part of a new eastbound around the world route connecting Europe, India, China andJapan with the FedEx U.S. hub in Memphis. The service means FedEx will double its current capacitybetween Europe and Asia with the addition of 850,000 pounds of capacity per week.“This new route will relieve mounting capacity constraints for international express serviceacross Europe to Asia, especially the two powerhouse economies of India and China,” said Michael L.Ducker, executive vice president-international, FedEx Express. “Furthermore, it is another ‘FedExfirst’ as we provide the industry’s first overnight express link between India and China. Ourservice from Delhi to Shanghai will benefit our customers, whose business is fuelling this $14billion trade route.”
Economic integration between India and China is deepening rapidly. Last year, China becameIndia’s second-largest trading partner and India emerged as one of China’s top ten Asian tradingpartners for the first time. Bilateral trade between the two nations is expected to exceed US $20billion in 2008. The five weekly flights from India to China respond to India’s vibrant economicgrowth. “Indian exports to China have been growing at more than twice the rate of overall Indianexports for the last few years,” said Gene Huang, FedEx chief economist. “This trend is expected tocontinue with the increasing growth of China’s emerging middle class and consumer-focusedculture.”
Earlier this year, FedEx Express launched a westbound around-the-world route, which included theexpress air cargo industry’s first direct flight from mainland China to Europe (Shanghai toFrankfurt). The new eastbound route complements the westbound around-the-world route, meetingsupply and demand needs in both directions.
