DHL's forwarding unit deploys second round-the-world flight

Twice-weekly service to link DHL Global Forwarding, the freight forwarding unit of German firm Deutsche Post DHL Group, has deployed its second dedicated Boeing 747-400 freighter in round-the-world service, the unit said Friday.

The aircraft will operate twice a week from Shanghai to DHL's U.S. hub in Cincinnati. From there, it flies to Incheon, South Korea; Wuxi, China, about 87 miles west of Shanghai; Frankfurt, and back to Shanghai. The aircraft has a 249,000-pound maximum payload. The first round-the-world flight, begun last September, has since been re-routed to Wuxi, meaning there will be two weekly flights from Wuxi to Frankfurt, the DHL unit said.

The service was launched to meet strong demand for Asian export services across all industries, as well as solid activity from the U.S. and Europe to Asia, the unit said. It is also a way to supply dedicated cargo lift to offset the challenges finding capacity in a supply-constrained market, the unit said.

"Demand is currently exceeding supply mainly due to the world's largest economies performing strongly," said David Goldberg, CEO of the unit's U.S. operations. "Volumes are high on major trade lanes, but capacities are low - a trend that will continue."

The first round-the-world flight links Brussels, Oslo, Seoul, Shanghai, and Cincinnati, before returning to Brussels. A key factor in launching the service was to respond to strong demand for Norwegian seafood exports.

The second aircraft has been leased from certificated air carrier Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc. Purchase, N.Y.-based Atlas provides the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance services under what is commonly known as an ACMI agreement.