SINGAPORE: DHL Express and Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Tuesday (Aug 16) marked the arrival of the first of five new Boeing 777 freighters to be operated under a crew and maintenance agreement signed in March.
The new cargo plane features dual DHL-SIA livery and has a maximum capacity of 102 tonnes. It will begin operating routes to the United States via South Korea three times a week from this month.
Under the March agreement, SIA pilots will fly the five planes on routes to North America via North Asia and Australia. The company will also oversee the maintenance of the aircraft.
The second aircraft under the agreement is expected to enter service in November, while delivery of the other three is planned for next year.
DHL Express executive vice president for aviation Robert Hyslop said that the partnership will help the company meet its customers’ needs while enabling it to reduce its carbon footprint.
“The new Boeing 777 freighter demonstrates our ongoing effort to strengthen our network and adjust flight routes, as well as lower our carbon emissions to achieve greener logistics.
“Singapore Airlines’ expertise in flight operations will enable us to better meet our customers’ needs in cross-border commerce, as we leverage the strategic location of our South Asia Hub in Singapore,” he said.
SIA executive vice president commercial Lee Lik Hsin welcomed the expansion of the SIA-DHL partnership.
“SIA’s long-standing partnership with DHL reinforces Singapore’s position as a key air cargo and e-commerce logistics hub, and highlights our firm commitment to our cargo business,” he said.
“Apart from supporting the fast-growing e-commerce segment, this new freighter operation provides a foundation to expand the partnership between SIA and DHL in the future.”
According to Boeing, its 777 freighters can fly routes of more than 6,000 nautical miles (11,112km) with 20 per cent more payload capacity compared to other large cargo aircraft, such as the company’s 747-400F.
The 777s will therefore “deliver superior tonne-per-mile economics for DHL and Singapore Airlines as they look to sustainably address increased demand in the global air freight market”, said Ms Christy Reese, Boeing’s vice president of commercial sales and marketing for the Asia-Pacific region.