Global logistics: DHL introduces new U.S.-Middle East-Asia Pacific flights

In an effort to meet increasing shipper demand, global express delivery and logistics services provider DHL Express began service for new, next-day intercontinental flights between the U.S. and the Middle East and Asia-Pacific to the U.S.

DHL officials said that a new dedicated Boeing 747-400F aircraft operated by Polar Air Cargo will connect the DHL Cincinnati (CVG) hub with the Bahrain (BAH) and Hong Kong (HK) hubs, providing an additional cargo capacity of 80 tons. 

“There is an increased demand for shipping to the [Middle East] region,” a DHL spokesman told LM. “As the only courier company in the Middle East operating its own interregional air network, our customers have relied on us to provide the necessary resources that will allow them to keep up with the pace and demand that the global economy is offering.”

The spokesman added that the direct flight to the Middle East eliminates the need to route the flight through Leipzig, Germany—improving connectivity and reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

DHL said that the direct U.S.-Bahrain flight will cut down delivery times by as much as one full day for shipments going from the U.S. to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Quatar and Saudi Arabia.

And the spokesman said that greater connectivity to key trade lanes in the Middle East will provide greater opportunity for growth for U.S. exporters in the oil and gas, technology, communications, U.S. government and other industries.

With these new flights, DHL now makes more than 150 weekly flights within the Middle East, with daily flights from Tuesday-Sunday from the U.S. to Bahrain, serving shippers in the U.S. government, oil, gas, technology, and communications sectors.

Increases in air cargo routes are gaining in frequency, as evidenced by DHL increasing service lines and a recent announcement made by UPS last week, with its announcement that it is expanding its express air network capacity in Latin America and TNT Express’ recent rollout of a dedicated B767 freighter service between India and Europe.