Polar Air Cargo, the future DHL Express transpacific partner airline, will launch five weeklyB747-400 flights from Chicago to Osaka and on to Shanghai on February 21.
The US cargo airline said it had selected the routing following a recent US-Japan bilateralcivil aviation deal. In addition to its existing five frequencies to Tokyo with service beyond toSeoul, Polar was granted another six frequencies to Japan (excluding Tokyo), and the right to flybeyond this new point in Japan to two points. Polar said it has chosen to commence service intoOsaka with Shanghai selected as the beyond point.
The new service will also provide connections from Shanghai and Osaka via Chicago to its USdestinations and the fast growing South American region.
Following its acquisition of a 49% stake in Polar Air and an accompanying 20-year capacityagreement, DHL Express will switch its transpacific business from Northwest Airlines to Polar inOctober 2008.
Under the capacity agreement, DHL Express will have blocked space on six B747-400 freightersand one B747-200 freighter, and also wet-lease aircraft from Polar’s parent company Atlas Air.
