DHL Express has started services for the fifth Boeing 777 freighter deployed at its Singapore hub. With a payload capacity of 102 tonnes, the aircraft joins the four other Boeing 777 freighters already deployed in Singapore to boost inter-continental connectivity between Asia-Pacific and the Americas.

Sporting a dual DHL-Singapore Airlines (SIA) livery, the five freighters provide a total of 1,224 tonnes of payload capacity to meet growing customer demand for international express shipping services.

Since last December, three of the five Boeing 777 freighters have been plying the Singapore - Bangkok / Taipei - Incheon / Nagoya - Cincinnatti - Honolulu - Sydney - Singapore route seven times a week. The other two cover the Singapore - Nagoya - Los Angeles - Honolulu - Singapore route five times a week.

With these services, DHL Express says, the company enhances its international air network capacity by taking advantage of Singapore's strategic location and position as a key air cargo and logistics hub. Customers looking to ship between Asia-Pacific and the US West Coast can expect shortened delivery times to one day for their time-sensitive shipments.

"Both Asia and the United States are major economic powerhouses with significant trade flows. We continue to see significant demand for shipments between the two regions due to a huge volume of cross-border e-commerce and trade activities. In the last four years, shipment volume between Asia-Pacific (excluding China) and the US increased by more than 20%," notes Ken Lee, DHL Express chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific.

"As we seek to improve trade connectivity between Asia and the United States, deploying these five freighters enables us to provide efficient and rapid logistics solutions for Asia Pacific shippers. Having Singapore Airlines as our partner to operate and maintain these aircraft also bolsters our customer service quality."

In March 2022, DHL Express and SIA signed a crew and maintenance agreement, where SIA would operate and oversee the maintenance of the five Boeing 777 freighters deployed at the South Asia Hub. DHL Express welcomed the first freighter in August 2022.

The five Boeing 777 freighters are part of DHL Express' order book of 28 Boeing 777 freighters since the first purchase was made in 2018. The twin-engine freighter offers enhanced fuel efficiency. As it emits 18% less carbon dioxide compared to the legacy B747-400s, the freighter enhances DHL Express operations and contributes to the company's sustainability goals.

With a presence in more than 220 countries and territories, DHL Express's global network consists of 18 own and partner airlines and over 300 dedicated aircraft that operate more than 2,400 daily flights.