Freight DHL adds another around-the-world flight in response to Asian demand

A second Boeing 747-400 Freighter will be deployed to connect the US, Europe and Asia. The aircraft´s operating network will include the United States, South Korea, Germany and China.

Especially outbound routes ex Asia are performing very well at the moment. Therefore, DHL Global Forwarding decided to add another around-the-world flight. The first of such service was introduced and established in September 2017.

Tim Scharwath, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, said: "Demand is currently exceeding supply mainly due to the large economies performing strongly. On major trade lanes volumes are high, but capacities are low - a trend that will continue. To increase our operational efficiency and to offer our customers the best-possible solution, we thus decided to create further capacities we have direct control over."

100 tons per flight provide significant space, especially on the transpacific route from Shanghai to Cincinnati, from where the aircraft will return to Seoul-Incheon. Thereafter, the aircraft will continue to Wuxi in China and then to Frankfurt-Hahn in Germany. Afterwards the 747 flies back to Shanghai.

"The gap between the well-performing world trade with a high demand for cargo space on the one hand, and at the same time a difficult capacity situation on the other side, has encouraged us in our decision to further deploy self-controlled capacity to the market," Scharwath added.

The increased demand is reasoned by all major industries. Especially China´s electrical, electronics, electric motors, and mechanical industries are decisive. There is a positive development of world trade in general. According to a newly established DHL Global Trade Barometer, the global trade will continue to show solid growth for the next three months.