DHL Express and Singapore Airlines have inked an agreement to expand their partnership, with DHL deploying five Boeing 777 Freighters on a Crew and Maintenance (CM) agreement. The first two aircraft will be delivered in July and October 2022, and the rest in 2023.
On Thursday (March 10, 2022) DHL Express announced the signing of an agreement with Singapore Airlines (SIA) under which DHL will deploy five Boeing 777 Freighters under a Crew and Maintenance (CM) arrangement. The first two aircraft will be delivered in July and October 2022 and will be based at Singapore’s Changi Airport and serving DHL’s South Asia Hub. The freighters will sport a dual DHL-SIA livery and will be operated by SIA pilots on routes to the U.S. via points in North Asia. Additionally, SIA will oversee the maintenance of these aircraft.
In Thursday’s announcment, DHL Express’ Executive Vice President – Global Network Operations and Aviation, Travis Cobb, said,
“With the deployment of five Boeing 777 freighters, we can expand our express service linking the Asia Pacific region with the Americas. Following the pandemic, we see good prospects for strong growth in trans-Pacific trade lanes. By collaborating with Singapore Airlines, we see a unique chance to establish a long-lasting relationship with a long time partner who shares common values and operates at the highest standard.”
Also commenting on the new Boeing 777F CM agreement, Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice President of Commercial, Lee Lik Hsin, said,
“Today’s agreement builds on and strengthens the long-standing partnership between SIA and DHL. This new freighter operation will support the fast-growing e-commerce segment, in addition to other key business segments that rely on trusted express services that DHL excels in providing. It also provides a foundation on which the partnership between SIA and DHL can be further expanded in the future. Basing these freighters at Changi Airport will further reinforce Singapore’s position as a key air cargo and e-commerce logistics hub, contributing to its growth and development.”
DHL Express Asia Pacific’s CEO, Ken Lee, added,
“This new agreement guarantees capacity on our critical routes out of Singapore as we gear up for ongoing growth in Asia Pacific trade. It gives us greater flexibility to add new routes and optimize our aircraft utilization in the face of unpredictable changes or sudden increases in demand.”
The initial agreement is set for over four years with the opportunity for extension, and as previously mentioned, the first two aircraft will be delivered in July and October 2022. The remaining three Boeing 777 Freighters will be delivered throughout 2023.
DHL continues to invest to meet the steady growth of the cross-border time sensitive shipment market. The company operates over 320 dedicated freighter aircraft across their global network of 220 countries and territories. The Boeing 777F is the world’s largest, longest range and most capable twin-engine freighter, and also contributes to DHL’s sustainability goals by reducing CO2 emissions by 18 percent compared to the carrier’s legacy Boeing 747-400 Freighters.
Singapore Airlines’ Cargo division currently serves over 90 destinations with a fleet of dedicated freighters complemented by belly-hold space on SIA and Scoot passenger aircraft. The carrier recently ordered Airbus A350F freighters as part of their fleet renewal program, as the company continues to invest in cargo capabilities, capitalizing on increasing demand fueled by e-commerce, fresh produce, pharmaceuticals and other segments.
Source: DHL Express