DHL Express this week launched two new daily intercontinental routes providing next-daydeliveries to speed up US imports from Asia and exports to the Middle East, and has gained TAPA
security certification at all major US sites.A new dedicated Boeing 747-400F plane operated by Polar Air Cargo now connects the DHLCincinnati (CVG) hub with its Bahrain (BAH) and Hong Kong (HK) hubs on eastbound routings,providing additional cargo capacity of 80 tons, the company said.
Since June 6, the new 747-400F has connected from Bahrain to Hong Kong, enabling customers toenjoy a later pick up time out of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta for overnight service toNorth America on the new flight’s final leg from Hong Kong to Cincinnati.
Since yesterday (June 7), the direct US – Bahrain flight has shortened delivery times for DHLcustomers by as much as one full day for shipments from the USA to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq,Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“These ongoing improvements in the connectivity of our US operation along key trade lanes likethe Middle East ensures continued service excellence for our customers while paving the way forprofitable growth,” said Ian Clough, CEO for DHL Express USA. “Being positioned in Bahrain, a keyentry point to the Middle East, our new route will provide additional capacity for US exporters inthe Oil and Gas, Technology, Communications, US Government and other industries to reach key MiddleEast markets much more quickly.”
DHL said that it has the most extensive express and logistics services in the Middle East,operating its own interregional air network with over 150 intra-regional flights each week, andproviding services to the US Department of Defense on its flights to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, DHL Express also announced that all of its key North America facilities are now fullycertified by the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA). Following the recentcertification of the Los Angeles and San Francisco gateways, other facilities including the USExpress hub in Cincinnati, Ohio, gateways in Miami and New York City and its principal gateway inToronto, Canada, have now also gained certification.
“Security is of the utmost importance to our customers, to the regulators and to us as acompany,” said Adrian Whelan, senior vice president and head of Global Customs and Security for DHLExpress. “Knowing that every one of our key locations has met the rigorous requirements for TAPAcertification assures our customers that DHL Express maintains the highest levels of securitywithin the supply chain. We are continually looking for ways to provide the very highest levels ofsecurity for our customers.”
DHL Express said it is the global leader with more TAPA-certified facilities within itsworldwide network than any company in the express and logistics industry in the world. There aremore than 150 certified DHL Express hubs and gateways around the globe, including all major hubsand gateways.
The combined total of DHL TAPA-certified sites in North American now stands at 20, includingthose operated by two other DHL business units, DHL Global Forwarding and EXEL Supply Chain. Thereare DHL TAPA-certified sites in Colombia and Brazil, and certifications are in the process forother key sites in Latin America.
All seven DHL Global Forwarding gateways in the USA and an additional five facilities areTAPA-certified as well as its facility in Bogota, Colombia. DHL Supply Chain manages aTAPA-certified site in Houston for two key technology sector customers and two in Brazil.
Daniel Gomez, head of security for DHL Express’ Americas Region, added: “In 2010, DHL Expressachieved best-in-class results with the lowest loss run rates on record in the industry.Maintaining this record, while always striving for better ways to serve our global customers is ournumber one priority.”
“It is TAPA members such as DHL that take the security standards and methodologies and turnsthem into real-world best practices. DHL’s commitment to the security standards demanded byshippers is evident by the company having brought so many of its sites successfully through thecertification process,” added Alan Spear, chairman, TAPA Americas.
