DHL connects three continents

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DHL has stepped up to meet demand in the technology, manufacturing and life science sectors as it launches a charter service from Asia Pacific to Europe and the USA.

Managed by Star Broker, DHL Global Forwarding’s in-house charter team, the twice-weekly charter originates from Chongqing, China and flies to Amsterdam, Netherlands to Chicago, United States and then on to Incheon, South Korea before returning to China.

“While some passenger airlines have resumed operations, the situation in the air freight market remains volatile – especially as belly capacity is still tight,” Thomas Mack, Global Head of Air Freight DHL Global Forwarding has commented. “As the leader in the air freight market, DHL Global Forwarding’s top priority is to provide our customers with sufficient and reliable air freight capacity. Not only are the resilient, agile and reliable supply chains of highest importance for an economic recovery, but also in preparation for the availability of vaccines and other essential medical supplies during the pandemic.”

“Over the years, DHL has built up its expertise from globally certified facilities and staff to technologies that track shipments in real-time in addition to ensuring the integrity of such products throughout their journey. Getting the much-needed air capacity is the last piece in the value chain puzzle, so to speak, that ensures temperature sensitive products such as life-saving vaccines reach the communities-in-need,” added Mack.

The charter route caters to the demands of the top medical importers and exporters of which China, the Netherlands and the United States were among the top ten in 2019. South Korea has seen its exports of healthcare products rise year-on-year by 26.7% in the first half of 2020, with pharmaceutical goods in particular increasing by 52.5%. Similarly, China has exported 28.5% more medical devices in the first five months of the year as compared to a year ago.

In April 2020 DHL flew more than 1.3 million COVID-19 test kits from South Korea to Brazil, Ecuador, India, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Saudi Arabia. The freight forwarder also launched a dedicated 100 tonne weekly freight service for organisations and governments shipping health and medical-related items and other goods from China to Middle East and Africa. With the introduction of the new charter service DHL will continue to be a key player in medical freight services.