Freight UPS launches ultra-long-haul cargo flight

The new flight should improve the time-in transit from North and South America to several destinations in the US by a full business day. The flight is operated with one of UPS’ new Boeing 747-8F. At approximately 7,700 miles (12,400 km), the route is the longest regularly-scheduled flight UPS has ever operated, and is made possible by the new 747-8s.

 “Our customers are demanding more capacity, and we’re providing it with this non-stop connection to Dubai,” said UPS Airlines President, Brendan Canavan. “UPS has made a strategic investment in 747-8 jumbo jets, the largest aircraft we have ever flown, to offer sustainable lift on long-range international routes like this.”

The Louisville-Dubai flight leg is part of an “around-the-world” flight route that begins and ends at UPS base in Louisville. The flight route goes from Louisville via Dubai to Shenzen in China and continues to Anchorage in Canada. With the addition of this new flight, the volume capacity on UPS’s current Cologne to Dubai flight should be increased to better serve the needs of customers connecting Europe to the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa.

Some days ago, UPS has added 14 additional Boeing 747-8 Freighters to its existing order of 14 aircraft. All 28 aircraft should be delivered until 2022. The aircraft can carry a maximum payload of 140 tons.