UPS has quashed reports in Tunisia's media claiming that it is planning to expand in Africa with a new Tunisian cargo airline – Express Air Cargo.
Yesterday, CEP Research carried a story, based on the reports, which claimed that UPS was scaling up its activities in Africa with the new carrier.
Express Air Cargo's project focuses on providing parcel and cargo distribution services from Tunis’ Enfidha-Hammamet airport from January next year to more than 50 African countries, with daily connections using a fleet of seven aircraft.
In a written statement in reply to questions from CEP Research, UPS said: "Contrary to recent media reports, UPS has not currently partnered with Express Logistics in Tunisia to create a new air company carrier.
"UPS is currently engaged with Express Logistics to evaluate common carriage service into Africa via the Express Air Logistics network. UPS regularly evaluates new routes and service offerings, based on customer demand and market opportunities and communicate these new capabilities to customers when appropriate.
"UPS has used Demeter, a subsidiary of Express Logistics, for its common carriage needs to-and-from Tunisia since January 2015. Express Air Cargo services UPS along with its other co-loader and freight-forwarding customers," the statement added.
Separately, according to US media reports, UPS has agreed to pay New York New state government entities U$1.2 million as part of a $4 million, multi-state settlement over claims that it recorded inaccurate delivery times on packages sent via next-day delivery services by government customers.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Wednesday announced the agreement amid allegations that some UPS employees violated the law.
“UPS improperly profited from charging New York state government entities – and ultimately our taxpayers – when its employees failed to meet its guaranteed delivery times for overnight deliveries,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “Corporations that improperly profit at the expense of taxpayers will be held to account.”
The agreement will return $1.2 million of the settlement to New York and local governments.
In addition, the agreement also outlined that UPS has instituted remedial training, monitoring and reporting compliance programs for delivery failures or policy violations.
