Construction starts on UPS air hub in Shanghai

Construction starts on UPS air hub in Shanghai    The Shanghai Airport Authority broke ground Thursday on the UPS international air hub at Pudong International Airport, the package and freight carrier announced.
   The new facility was made possible by the 2004 air services agreement between the United States and China.
   The new hub has a planned sorting capacity of 17,000 pieces per hour when it opens next year. UPS is building the facility to meet booming export growth in China.
   Over the past five years, UPS has invested about $600 million in China, including a transition to become the first wholly owned foreign express carrier in the country.
   The new hub will link all of China via Shanghai to UPS’s international network with direct service to the Americas, Europe and Asia. It also will connect points served in China by UPS through a dedicated service provided by Yangtze River Express, a Chinese all-cargo airline.
   “The opening of this hub will ensure we are well-positioned to support the explosive growth in Asia’s regional trade,” said Mike Eskew, UPS chairman and chief executive officer, at the groundbreaking. “Export volume growth in China and throughout Asia has been robust and the outlook remains bright. We are extremely proud to be the first U.S. airline to open an international air hub in China under the 2004 U.S.-China Air Services Agreement.”