DHL Express has launched a new flight from Kiev, Ukraine, to its European air hub atLeipzig/Halle Airport in Germany to increase capacity and reduce delivery times for the Ukrainian
market while also standardising operational processes.The new Boeing 737-300 cargo aircraft operates five days a week, shortening the flight timebetween Leipzig and Kiev by 35 minutes compared with the previous aircraft used on the route, whichhad been operated by a third-party provider. This allows for shipments to be dispatched later andreceived earlier, which is especially important for industry sectors where every minute counts forthe customer, DHL Ukraine said.
With a payload of up to 12.5 tonnes, the freighter provides 30% more capacity than theAntonov-12 freighter previously serving the route on behalf of DHL. It also accommodates twice asmuch volume for containerised cargo as the An-12.
Natalia Bochkova, country manager for DHL Express Ukraine, said: “Growth in business activityacross the entire country, the development of international trade relations and the expansion ofUkrainian companies into global markets require simple, fast and effective solutions. Thetransition to using our own air fleet to and from Ukraine and the capacity increase of the newaircraft bring a new level of reliability and service quality to the market.
“We will be able to adjust our aircraft operations to accommodate future growth in demand on themarket by introducing even larger aircraft to our fleet where necessary,” she added. “Theseenhancements will allow us to even better fulfill our obligations to DHL customers, both in Ukraineand abroad. The new solution once again confirms the commitment of DHL Express to develop theexpress delivery market in Ukraine.“
The Boeing 737 is one of the core aircraft in DHL’s European cargo air fleet and is equippedwith a Category III C system to operate in unfavorable weather conditions.
