DHL has launched a new direct flight between USA and Australia to provide additional capacity inresponse to the growing customer demand on key intercontinental trade lanes.
With effect from July, DHL is operating two flights per week from its US hub in Cincinnati usinga B747-400 freighter with a payload of up to 113 tonnes. After a refuelling stop in Honolulu,Hawaii, the plane flies further to reach its Australian destinations Sydney and Melbourne.
With the new route, DHL significantly increases its air freight capacities between the Americasand Oceania regions thus supporting the volume growth generated from Canada and the USA toAustralia and New Zealand, with an expected increase of 20% this year. In addition, transit timesto the biggest Australian markets Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne are reduced by up to oneday.
On its way back to Cincinnati, the freighter flies via Hong Kong improving the extensive servicerange that DHL offers to customers shipping their goods from Asia to the different regions of theUSA.
Operated by the DHL partner airline Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, the freighters ensure reliableand efficient operations. Using the new freighter type, Polar Air Cargo Worldwide now operates onbehalf of DHL nine B747-400 planes in total. Through this new connection for express shipments fromthe USA, DHL further fortifies its position as an expert for international logistics.
Charlie Dobbie, Executive Vice President, Global Network Operations, DHL Express said: “AsInternational Specialists, we recognise that our customers are interested above all in what a newflight means for their shipments every day. This new flight, operated with modern,environmentally-friendly freighters, will bring a number of clear benefits for customers: it willguarantee uplift on a route that is already in high demand, while reducing delivery times onshipments picked up in the USA and destined for key destinations in Australia. Additionally, itstrengthens uplift capability on the Asia to Americas trade lanes as the flights return to the US.Perhaps most importantly, it demonstrates to our customers once again that DHL understands theirbusiness and is focused on supporting their trading activities and growth.”
In 2011 alone, USA accounted for 12.5% of all Australian imports. This makes USA the secondlargest source of imports for Australia, after China. Trade between USA and Australia increased by8% last year, compared to 2010. The top import categories include high-quality goods such asengineering equipment and vehicle parts.
