Thursday March 28, 2024
03-12-21

DHL Express NZ charters planes amid longest-ever peak season

Permanent peak for DHL
Permanent peak for DHL

DHL Express is chartering flights from Asia to New Zealand to add capacity for strong double-digit volume growth in its “longest-ever” peak season that started with the country’s latest lockdown back in mid-August.

New Zealand moved back into COVID-19 Alert Level 4 in mid-August, which drove consumers back to online shopping for all kinds of goods, both locally produced and imported. In addition, ocean freight disruptions have increased demand for air freight capacity.

As a result, since August, DHL Express New Zealand has experienced shipping volumes that soar past its usual December Christmas peak numbers, with a significant double-digit increase in shipments, when compared to pre-lockdown. With global trade continuing to rebound strongly and the COVID-19 pandemic driving Kiwis to shop online like never before, the company is expecting this significant growth to continue well into 2022 and potentially beyond.

21 charter flights

In response, DHL said it is making significant investments in preparation for the year-end Christmas peak, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday adding to the expected growth. In addition to its dedicated air network, DHL will operate 21 passenger charters direct from Hong Kong and Singapore into New Zealand, to ensure delivery times are met right through peak season.

Already in November 2020, DHL Express increased capacity between Melbourne, Auckland, and Christchurch with an additional dedicated aircraft that operates five times per week, providing a further 19 tonnes of freight capacity for businesses trading between New Zealand and Australia.

“Excellent service quality”

Mark Foy, DHL Express Managing Director, New Zealand and Pacific Islands said: “Based on previous lockdowns, we expected there would be a surge in e-commerce shipments, however this lockdown has lasted all the way to our traditional Christmas peak period. We have remained well-prepared to meet this demand by ramping up our resources and investing in additional infrastructure and aviation capacity. We are confident we are able to continue to provide our customers excellent service quality coming into Christmas.”

DHL stressed that, along with local investments, its global investments in infrastructure, such as international hubs and gateways, aircrafts, vehicles, and state-of-the-art technology, allow it to fully utilise the capacity of its international operations and therefore manage the upcoming volumes and support Kiwi businesses this peak season.

Foy explained: “Our global infrastructure, including more than 20 dedicated aircraft in our Asia Pacific fleet, means we are able to keep trade flowing and limit disruptions. In addition, we will have more couriers on the road to meet the demand and ensure all Kiwis have their presents under the tree.”

For all Christmas orders, DHL Express will be picking up and delivering all the way up until the 24th December. However, Kiwi consumers are encouraged to plan accordingly when shopping online to make sure their international parcel arrives before the big day.

SourceDHL Express NZ/Scoop.nz
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