DHL Express is offering faster international deliveries in the Americas after enhancingservices, adding flights and upgrading facilities in recent months.
Service improvements include faster delivery of low-value packages within the region, quickerinternational deliveries to Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela, new Panama and Colombiaflights, and enlarged facilities in Mexico and Colombia.
The express operator said it now offers the same delivery times for low-value/‘de minimis’packages and low-value dutiable shipments as it does for documents within the Americas.
These transit time improvements are the result of enhanced network operations and improvedcustoms clearance procedures throughout the Americas. Recently introduced direct flights intoPanama and Colombia have reduced transit times to these countries and throughout much of Centraland South America by at least one day.
Additionally, the introduction of night-time clearance on inbound shipments of documents andsmall parcels from Europe to Brazil, Colombia and Argentina has reduced transit time from three totwo business days. DHL Express claims it now exceeds industry standards in these countries.
Stephen Fenwick, DHL Express Americas CEO, said: “The improved transit times give new meaning tothe ‘Speed of Yellow.’ We’re continuously working with customs officials worldwide to improveclearance procedures as well as internally to improve our operations, processes and informationsystems to achieve best-in-class service for our customers.”
Mike Parra, Senior Vice President and Head of Network Operations for DHL Express Americas,added: “International delivery is our expertise and these improvements mark our ongoing commitmentto our global customers. Connecting our customers along these key trade routes with expeditedflights will give businesses valuable access to the fast growing economies in Latin America.”
The transit time improvements for documents and low-value packages are in effect throughout theAmericas as of January 1, except in Brazil and French Guiana which will follow later this year, DHLExpress said.
The company has added several new flights within the Americas region to speed up deliveries. Itlaunched a five days a week B767 flight between the hubs in Panama and Cincinnati, improvingdelivery times by one full day from any location in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Asia-Pacificand the Caribbean to and from Panama. The new flight provides a key advantage for many customerswho use Panama as a center for logistics and a gateway to Latin America. Documents de minimis andlow-value dutiable shipments from the United States to Panama are now delivered in one day, anindustry first in fastest transit. DHL has also added own flights between Asunción (Paraguay) andBuenos Aires five days a week with small cargo planes to expand capacity and reduce transit timesby at least one day.
The region is also benefiting from additional intercontinental capacity provided by threeSouthern Air-operated B777s flying to the Middle East and Asia as well as the new B747-400Fround-the-world flight connecting Cincinnati with Bahrain and Hong Kong, providing next-day servicefrom Hong Kong to the Americas and shortening delivery times for much of the Middle East.
On the ground, DHL Express has expanded its facilities in the Americas with the opening of a newoperations centre at the El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, expediting import and exportshipments in Colombia, and a new domestic gateway at Mariano Escobedo International Airport inMonterrey, Mexico, with the capacity to handle 2,000 shipments per hour and expediting deliveriesin the northern part of the country.
