GLS, Royal Mail’s European parcels subsidiary, has launched express flights between the UK andGermany under its strategy of speeding up parcel deliveries in order to compete in the economy
express market. It can now offer next-day deliveries between the two largest European expressmarkets.The newly-founded airline GLS Air launched weekday flights between Kassel in central Germanyand Coventry in central England on October 2. It is operating with two jets bought in July. Furtherinformation about the aircraft and flight operations was not disclosed.
The company’s express unit Der Kurier said in a statement that it was using the new in-houseexpress airline to expand its previous domestic road-based overnight express service into newEuropean markets. International express shipments destined to the UK are now picked up acrossGermany, driven to the GLS European hub at Neuenstein, near Kassel, flown to the UK and thendelivered by its British partner NRG.
“Our customers expect the fastest-possible delivery of their express consignments with 100%reliability,” said Der Kurier managing director Franz Hollfelder. “The use of our own aircraftgenerates considerable time advantages, especially since the loading and unloading can be carriedout by our own staff as soon as the aircraft arrive.”
Der Kurier, whose revenues and volumes are not disclosed, currently offers time-definiteexpress delivery by 09:00, 10:00 or 12:00 and various service options in the German domesticmarket. The company was acquired several years ago by GLS, whose core business is deferred parcelsdelivery, to give it an express business.
GLS CEO Rico Back revealed earlier this year that GLS Air would be gradually built up to afleet of 25 jets, providing air connections between hubs in 17 European countries. Italy andHungary were the next countries due to gain air connections. GLS planned to offer express deliveryat prices about 30-40% lower than the equivalent products of operators such as DHL, TNT and UPS, hesaid at the time.
GLS Air is part of a large-scale investment programme, including spending of €100 millionthis year alone, designed to strengthen the GLS pan-European network and offer faster cross-borderparcel services. In future, GLS aims to offer deliveries within 24 hours between major Europeanregions.
