DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, has just opened its biggest express hub in Asia, the $175 million DHL Express North Asia Hub, at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. It has also announced plans to further invest $132 million to add eight dedicated aircraft to service high demand routes between Shanghai and North Asia, Europe and the US, by 2014.
Dr. Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL, said: “DHL Express North Asia Hub is a logistics milestone in DHL’s Asia Pacific network and the culmination of a multi-hub and aviation strategy that cements our leadership position in terms of connections, convenience and cost-effectiveness. With Asia’s leading economies fast integrating and free trade agreements reducing barriers to international commerce, logistics companies need capabilities that are ahead of the curve and offer simplicity, speed and service.”
Covering a land area of 88,000 sq. metres, DHL Express’ North Asia Hub can process up to 20,000 documents and 20,000 parcels an hour. The facility has outstanding environmentally-friendly features, such as energy-efficient T5 lighting and a solar-powered system for hot water. The hub’s sortation system is also designed to automatically detect components that are not in use and switch them to an energy-saving ‘sleep’ mode until they are needed again.
The completion of the North Asia Hub caps an unrivalled multi-hub Asian network. Together, DHL Express’ four hubs in Asia Pacific – Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore – link to over 70 DHL Express Gateways located throughout the region. DHL’s infrastructural network is served by a comprehensive air network of over 40 aircraft covering 40 countries and territories, and utilizing approximately 690 commercial flights per day in Asia Pacific.
Li Derun, President of Shanghai Airport Authority, said: “With the launch of the DHL Express North Asia Hub, the turnover capacity and throughput of Shanghai Pudong International Airport will be further enhanced. Today’s ceremony marks a step forward for Shanghai’s air cargo hub and also opens a new chapter of collaboration between the Shanghai Airport Authority and DHL. The Shanghai Airport Authority will continue to optimize the operating environment for our partners and work together to enhance the core competitiveness of Pudong International Airport.”
Planned investment
Over the next two years, DHL’s planned investment of $132 million (Euro 100 million) will increase the dedicated capacity of its Asia Air Network by deploying eight freighter aircraft between Shanghai and North Asia, Europe and the US. The planned flights will be operated by partner and equity-held airlines: Polar Air, Aerologic, and DHL Air UK. There will be a variety of other providers as well.
Building on existing direct connections between the DHL Express North Asia Hub in Shanghai to Hong Kong, Osaka, Tokyo, and DHL’s global hubs in Leipzig and Cincinnati, the planned investments in the next two years will enhance capacity on these routes and also include new connections between Shanghai and East Midlands, UK.
DHL further plans to increase capacity on routes between the DHL Express North Asia Hub and other cities in China and Taiwan. Over the next few months, it will add direct connections to Incheon, Taipei and Chinese cities such as Dalian and Qingdao, with Beijing and Xiamen likely to come on stream in 2013.
Ken Allen, CEO of DHL Express, said: “DHL pioneered Express services in the region 40 years ago, and was the first international express company to enter China 32 years ago. Shanghai is one of the key commercial centers of China and gateway to the Yangtze River Delta which accounts for almost 39 per cent of China’s total value of imports and exports. The DHL Express North Asia Hub will play a critical role by supporting growth, improving transit times and network reliability, and providing a foundation for later pick-ups and earlier deliveries for customers across North Asia”.
Said Jerry Hsu, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific: “Leveraging increased regional and international flight connections through Shanghai, DHL will be able to provide greater flexibility and reliability to customers choosing time-definite morning delivery to major cities in North Asia and greater regional connections across North Asia as well as inter-continental links to Europe and the US”.
DHL’s latest North Asia Hub launch and upcoming planned flight investments follows from continuous enhancement in its Asia Air network. In 2011, DHL added two B747 freighters operated by Polar Air to serve Japan, Korea, and Eastern China. “We also upgraded our capacity on the Beijing to Hong Kong route with new Airbus freighter services, and improved the Shanghai to Hong Kong route with a new B747 freighter service. In support of China’s ‘Go West’ growth strategy, DHL Express also launched five flights per week between Hong Kong and Chengdu,” the CEO added.
DHL’s extensive network provides businesses with faster access to international markets. Complementing DHL’s Central Asia Hub in Hong Kong, the North Asia Hub enables shorter routing options for customers shipping within North Asia, which could ultimately result in savings of up to four hours airtime, later pick-ups and earlier deliveries.