DHL Express has expanded its air fleet in the Middle East with the addition of two B757-200freighters to increase capacity and reduce emissions.
The two new fuel-efficient planes are being showcased at the Bahrain International Air Showthis week while a DHL Boeing 747-400 aircraft will participate in a fly-by event at the showtomorrow (Saturday 21 January).
Nour Sulaiman, CEO of DHL Express Middle East and North Africa, commented: “During 2011 DHLadded two Boeing 757-200PCF aircraft to our existing fleet of over 20 aircraft in the EEMEA Regionin response to the needs of our customers. They began operations during Q4 of last year and haveproved their worth in the demanding environments that we operate in here in the Middle East. TheB757 provides capacity to transport up to 30 tons of material, and also affords us the capabilityto operate into more restricted airfields than the other aircraft types currently being operatedfrom our hub in Bahrain.”
A DHL Express spokesman said that the two newly-acquired B757s had been assigned to routescovering Jeddah and Kuwait. “Our Network Planning Department is always reviewing options forimproving the network and we identified the B757 as our next logical step in the region toaccomplish this. We constantly look for opportunities to increase our presence in the region andthus have increased the number of rotations to Kuwait providing a better service and increasing thecapacity,” he explained. The capacity of the B757s was introduced in response to DHL’s GoGreeninitiatives, and fleet expansion requirements while simultaneously increasing capacity and addingthe extra layer of reliability for customers, he added.
DHL Express now operates more than 20 own and wet-leased planes in the Middle East andAfrica. These include larger B767s, B757s and A300s in the Middle East and smaller cargo planes inAfrica. In addition, it operates B747 freighter flights connecting the Middle East to Europe, Asiaand North America. Much of the freight received on these DHL aircrafts are destined for customerswithin the Middle East and West Asia in support of businesses and humanitarian operations.
Highlighting the company’s support for the air show, Sulaiman pointed out that DHL Expresshad been based in Bahrain for 35 years and the kingdom hosted the regional air hub. “This year’sBahrain International Air Show is a key event for DHL Express, and reinforces the Kingdom’sposition as a gateway to the rest of the Middle East and a logistics hub for the region. We nowemploy 1200 staff in Bahrain of which 90 per cent are nationals and will continue to support thecommunity by participating in key events such as the Air Show, which bolster the Kingdom’s economyand provide all of us in the aviation industry a valuable platform to showcase our services totrade partners and the public.”
