DHL WORLD EXPRESS plans to add four Boeing 727-200 freighters owned by Continental Micronesia to its new Manila-based intra-Asian express freight network by the end the year.
The aircraft will initially be operated on overnight freight services from Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to Seoul, Singapore and Taipei, according to DHL Asia-Pacific chief executive Charles Longley. DHL consignments to other Asian destinations will continue to rely on commercial airlines.
Restricted air rights have traditionally left DHL reliant on other airlines, such as Cathay Pacific, to forward its freight within Asia. "In the event that we cannot obtain such a service, we've decided to try and get aircraft to fly on our behalf," says Longley.
Continental Micronesia already has unused routes from NAIA to other Asian cities, and has been given approval by the Philippines' Civil Aeronautics Board to operate an all-freighter service. Long-term plans calls for the freighter fleet to grow to 12 727s, and the Manila hub to be linked to other Asian cities, including Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong.
In addition to a new sorting hub at NAIA, DHL is to a establish an express logistics centre at Mactan, in Cebu, and is negotiating with a local carrier to forward freight to Manila.
DHL's tie-up with Continental Micronesia follows similar moves by FedEx to establish a Philippine-based intra-Asian hub at the US Navy's former base at Subic Bay. UPS Airlines has also announced plans to invest $130 million in improving and expanding its freight services in the region over the next five years.
Source: Flight International