DHL has successfully defended its top position in the most important air freight markets inEurope and North America, according to rankings just published by the International Air Transport
Association (IATA). The results are based on the IATA-managed payment clearing accounts system(Cass) between airlines and air freight service providers.DHL Global Forwarding ranked number one in terms of air freight spend in the US and Canada in2009 – as it also did in 2008. The group’s forwarding division also recaptured the top position inthe important German market, which was temporarily conceded to a competitor the year before.
In addition, the company again reached the number one position in Italy, the Netherlands,Switzerland and partly in eleven other European markets, including, for the first time, in Irelandand Spain. DHL Global Forwarding also secured further top rankings in Asia, namely in Hong Kong,Australia, Singapore and Indonesia.
“The IATA ranking confirms that DHL Global Forwarding has sustained its position as marketleader despite last year’s difficult economic environment,” said Hermann Ude, CEO of DHL GlobalForwarding and Freight.
The company was unable to confirm whether it had maintained its leading market share position sofar this year, although its air freight volumes in the first half of 2010 were up 31% year on year,well ahead of global air freight market growth, according to IATA figures for the first half of theyear, of 17%.
“In 2010 we’ve benefited inordinately from the worldwide economic recovery, not least because ofour strong presence in growth regions like Asia,” said Ude. “We are also confident that in themonths ahead we will be able to develop our business dynamically.”
Michael Schaecher, head of global air freight at DHL Global Forwarding, said: “These goodresults show that we are on track. But with the world economy and the shipment volumes still notcompletely stabilised, we’ve continued our close monitoring of the markets – just to be preparedfor fluctuations.”
