UPS is using one of its new Boeing 747-8 Freighters for its longest scheduled service, flying the aircraft from its Worldport global air hub in Louisville to Dubai.
The 7,700 mile route is operated on a weekly basis and will become a daily flight on 27 February, operating Tuesday through Saturday, and is part of UPS’s plan to expand its presence in Dubai by establishing capacity, technology and staff capabilities to serve customers shipping to and from Dubai in the build up to Expo 2020 and beyond.
The Louisville-Dubai flight leg is part of an around-the-world flight route that begins and ends at the UPS Worldport, and for the volume from North and South America that passes through Worldport, there is a full day time-in-transit improvement to Dubai.
After arriving in Dubai, new package and freight volume is loaded on board the aircraft before it departs for Shenzhen, home to UPS’s largest facility in Asia.
US bound volume is then loaded in Shenzhen and the aircraft returns to Worldport via Anchorage.
UPS International president, Jim Barber says the UAE trades with all 50 US states and is the US’s largest export destination in the Middle East.
He says: “Dubai’s importance as a global trade hub increases every day – and we’re now getting there a day faster from North and South America with our small package express carrier and cargo offerings.
“Growth potential is great for companies accessing the UAE and other rapidly developing industrial and commercial sectors in the region. Our new flight is another example of how UPS’s smart global logistics network, which carries three per cent of the world’s GDP every day, constantly evolves to service increasing international trade demands.”
UPS Airlines president, Brendan Canavan says: “Our customers are demanding more capacity, and we’re providing it with this non-stop connection to Dubai.
“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.”
