TNT will invest €100 million over the next five years on its network and infrastructure to targetsoaring demand for freight express services between Southeast Asia, China and Europe. Today’s
announcement accompanied the launch of its new Liège-Singapore-Shanghai freighter service.The Dutch express and postal group said it aims to build a leadership position by leveragingon demand mainly driven by customers in the high-tech, equipment and machinery and healthcaresectors that are increasingly moving large volumes of high-value goods between Southeast Asia,China and Europe. Details of the investment plan were not released.
TNT has changed the routing of its B747-400 ERF freighter which has operated four weeklydirect services between its European air hub at Liège and Shanghai since last year. With effectfrom today, the eastbound service stops off in Singapore. TNT’s second B747-400ERF is currentlywet-leased to Emirates. The company has already set up an Asia Road Network, which offersday-definite road express transportation between over 120 cities in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand,Vietnam and China, and which is due to be linked with the domestic Chinese road network of TNTHoau.
TNT said it thus offers customers an integrated, multi-country, multi-modal solution and aone-stop-shop approach to developing customised solutions for moving heavy, high-value shipments.The operator said it is capable of moving freight between major cities in Southeast Asia to Chinawith an average transit time of 48 hours. To Europe, the company offers transit times as short asone day.
Commenting on the inaugural landing of TNT’s Boeing 747-400 ER Freighter in Singapore, JamesMcCormac, Chief Operating Officer of TNT’s express division, said: “As the market leader in Europe,and with the strongest domestic road network in China that remains unrivalled, TNT is well-placedto offer truly differentiating solutions for customers. Our strategic objective is to build aleadership position in domestic, intra-regional and selected intercontinental express flows in theemerging Asian region. TNT’s volumes between China and Europe have grown over 20% in 2007, andwe’re certain that the stop in Singapore will further accelerate this volume growth.”
Onno Boots, regional managing director TNT Southeast Asia, added: “While we pride ourselvesin offering customised solutions to myriad businesses, TNT has grown to be recognised as the leaderin providing innovative solutions for the healthcare, high-tech and equipment and machinerysectors. As our customers increasingly move large volumes of high-value goods between Asia andEurope, they want the same quality of service, a single point of contact, clear visibility andaccountability throughout their shipment’s transit which we are able to provide.”
With Singapore as its Southeast Asian hub, TNT’s connectivity between Europe, Southeast Asiaand China will further be enhanced to tap into significant trade flows between these regions.According to a study by TNT, Greater China is one of Southeast Asia’s largest trade partners,representing some 24% of total express volumes transported by air. This is followed by Europerepresenting 20%, with trade within Southeast Asia accounting for 11%. Within Southeast Asia’s airtrade, the high-tech sector alone accounts for over 76% of total trade value.
Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs. Lim Hwee Hua, whoofficiated at the inaugural landing ceremony, commented: “TNT’s new Liege-Singapore-Shanghaiservice is significant as Singapore will be the first country in Southeast Asia to host TNT’sphysical freighter services. Its growing presence in Singapore is a strong endorsement ofSingapore’s status as an air express hub and another step in TNT’s longstanding and successfulpartnership with Singapore.”
