UPS today launched its inaugural flights at its $180 million new Asia Pacific Hub at Shenzhen BaoanInternational Airport in southern China to step up its international expansion strategy and benefit
from long-term growth in Asian trade flows.The flights mark the commencement of UPS’s intra-Asia air operations at the new hub and thetransition of its intra-Asia hub operations from its former site in Clark, Philippines to Shenzhen,China, the company announced. Further information on flight operations was not immediatelyavailable.
“The inauguration of our flights in Shenzhen is part of our continued efforts to help ourcustomers execute their trade in the region more efficiently,” said Derek Woodward, President, UPSAsia Pacific. “As part of this strategic move, UPS’s existing intra-Asia hub operations at Clarkwill be refocused to serve as the main import and export gateway for the Philippines as well as tocontinue its role as a leading centre for our service parts logistics operations.”
The new Asia Pacific hub has been built on a land area of 89,000 sqm and includes a dedicated150,000 sqm ramp handling area, an express customs handling unit, sorting facilities and cargohandling areas, according to previous UPS information. Operating 24/7, the hub employs some 400people with sorting capacity of up to 18,000 pieces per hour with the flexibility to expand to36,000 pieces per hour in the future.
UPS has previously said that Shenzhen’s strategic location in the Pearl River region enablesit to offer shorter transit times of up to one day on key intra-Asian trade routes while improvingservice in the southern Chinese region, which generates a significant proportion of its Asianpackage export volumes.
In December 2008, UPS opened a $125 million international hub at Shanghai’s Pudonginternational airport, with capacity for up to 17,000 pieces per hour, to improve connectionsbetween eastern China and its international network.
