DHL Express is expanding its coverage of the Middle East with the launch of a weekly B757 freighter service from its regional hub in Bahrain to Amman, capital of Jordan, to speed up transit times, including for relief aid goods.
The new flight, which was inaugurated in mid-August, is the first of its kind in the country to be operated by a commercial logistics provider and will deliver industry-leading transit times to customers to and from Jordan, according to the company.
The weekly flight is operated with a dedicated DHL B757-200 with 30,000 kg load capacity with a routing of Bahrain – Cairo – Amman – Bahrain. The new flight complements existing air services and solutions comprising of 11 daily commercial flights to and from Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) in Amman.
DHL said the service significantly improves transit time for all shipments in and out of Jordan, through a flight rotation which coincides with international DHL Express flights departing from Bahrain International Airport, DHL’s regional hub in the Middle East.
Malcolm Macbeth, VP Aviation for DHL Express Middle East and North Africa, said: “The introduction of this new flight connects our Middle East and North Africa Hub in Bahrain directly with Jordan for the first time, offering greater connectivity, reliability, flexibility and access to our extensive global network, therefore providing increased convenience and opportunity for our customers and their businesses.”
Several aid agencies and foreign companies supporting Iraq and Syria are also expected to benefit operationally from the increased capacity, with DHL providing convenient road and air logistics solutions, including customs clearance services, from a single location at Queen Alia International Airport.
“DHL Express is dedicated to supporting the growth and advancement of the Jordanian economy, and will continue to act as an effective solution for consumers as well as SMEs and other businesses to access new markets, create new opportunities and participate competitively across the globe … We are actively bolstering our position as the logistics market leader by efficiently connecting Jordan to neighbouring GCC countries and the rest of the world,” said Mahmoud Haj Hussein, DHL Express Jordan country manager.
Kjeld Binger, CEO of Airport International Group (AIG), which runs Amman airport, commented: “Given its convenient location, Jordan has always enjoyed a strategic advantage in terms of cargo traffic as it easily connects major cities in the MENA region together. What this translates to with the addition of the DHL Express freight flight is a greater choice for businesses looking for speedy, flexible and reliable cargo solutions. We’re also delighted that our partnership with DHL Express will help build on the tremendous growth we have been witnessing in QAIA’s cargo traffic since the beginning of the year.”
