Must be Express season. The Polar Express opened in theaters last month; the Cologne Express will make its big splash this spring, when FedEx Corp. subsidiary FedEx Express adds five weekly direct flights from Cologne, Germany, to Memphis, Tenn.

Dubbed the Cologne Express Freighter flight, the expanded service will begin in March and connect more European cities with next-day service to the United States. FedEx Express already provides direct flights from Stansted, England (on the outskirts of London); Paris; and Frankfurt, Germany, to FedEx hub locations in the United States.

"FedEx Express is committed to strong import and export services to and from Europe," says Robert. W. Elliott, president, FedEx Express Europe, Middle East and Africa region. "The Cologne Express Freighter flight will strengthen FedEx service to the region and show customers that FedEx is the fastest way to ship from Europe to more of the United States."

The Cologne Express Freighter flight announcement follows a series of FedEx service improvements aimed at expanding the company's network and connectivity. Over the past eight to 12 months, FedEx has opened new stations and added new flight routes throughout Europe. FedEx now connects more than 80 percent of the European economy to its EuroOne network, doubling its network reach over the last five years.