The Boeing 747-400 freighter operated by Polar Air Cargo will connect the DHL Cincinnati hub with the Bahrain and Hong Kong hubs, for an additional cargo capacity of 80 tons.
Starting Tuesday, the direct U.S./Bahrain flight will shorten delivery times for DHL customers by as much as one day for shipments from the United States to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
'Being positioned in Bahrain, a key entry point to the Middle East, our new route will provide additional capacity for U.S. exporters in the oil and gas, technology, communications, U.S. government and other industries to reach key Middle East markets much more quickly,' said Ian Clough, chief executive officer for DHL Express in the United States.
DHL has provided service to the Middle East since 1976 and is the only courier in the region operating its own interregional air network with more than 150 intra-regional flights each week connecting to airport DHL clearance facilities co-staffed with dedicated customs officers for fast clearance within the DHL facilities.
As the first international air express carrier to provide service to Iraq and Afghanistan, DHL provides service to the U.S. Defense Department at these locations.
Starting this Monday, the new B747-400 freight will connect from Bahrain to Hong Kong, giving shippers a later pick up time out of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta for overnight service to North America on the new flight's final leg from Hong Kong to Cincinnati.
DHL continues to expand its infrastructure in Asia Pacific with the construction of a new $175 million 57,000-square-meter North Asia hub located at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. It's scheduled to open in early 2012.
