DHL introduces two new flights out of Hong Kong

Express delivery and logistics services provider DHL said last week it has rolled out two new direct flights from its hub in Hong Kong, with one flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and the other to Chengdu, China, which the company said are the latest enhancements to its Asia-based air network.

DHL officials said that the Chengdu route will provide evening pick-up and next-day delivery for shipments to Chengdu and other Soutwestern China-based economic centers, including Chongqing, Kunming and Guiyang. They added that the route is operated in cooperation with Yangtze River Express Ltd., a Chinese all-cargo airline, via a B737-300F freighter flying five times per week. This cooperation, said DHL, will strengthen the connection between these cities and the 220 countries and territories covered through the DHL global network across Asia, the Americas and Europe, with high value and formal export shipments, dependent upon customs clearance, also benefiting from a previously unavailable same-day uplift service.

The Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City flight is comprised of five weekly Boeing 727F flights, which each have a payload of 22 tons, and are operated by DHL joint venture partner airline Air Hong Kong. DHL officials said that this new direct flight replaces an existing flight transiting in Bangkok and improves inbound and outbound service through a shorter transit time from Vietnam to the U.S. and Europe and vice versa by two hours. This will provide shippers with extra time to package freight before sending them abroad with a 10 p.m. courier pick-up for next-day delivery. This flight was rolled out earlier this year.

A DHL spokesman told LM that growing customer need for Express shipping services on these two routes drove the need for these nee flights, adding they had been planned for approximately six months.

“Before we launched these direct routes, all cargo to Southwestern China was handled via commercial airlines,” the spokesman said. “Cargo to Ho Chi Minh City was delivered through our existing network flight transiting through Bangkok.”

The spokesman also noted that both flights offer market-leading services with the shortest transit time and latest cut-off time. What’s more, he said DHL is the first international express company to connect Hong Kong and Southwestern China, with this dedicated focus showing the company’s continued confidence in the region.