DHL Express MENA has expanded its regional aviation fleet with the addition of seven new Boeing 767-300F freighters.
The new aircraft are scheduled to enter service gradually during the course of 2021, the company said in a statement.
The planes, which will be based out of DHL’s regional aviation headquarters in Bahrain, have been converted from passenger to freighter configuration by Boeing, to fit the needs of DHL Express and meet the rising demand for express services.
Nour Suliman, CEO of DHL Express MENA, said: “We are excited to introduce our new Boeing 767-300F freighters to the regional DHL Express air network. This investment reiterates our focus on continuously deploying innovative solutions and technologies to meet customer demands.
“Based on our performance in 2020, where we saw historic peaks in cross-border eCommerce volumes both globally and in the region, we anticipate this trend to continue, and our enhanced air capacities will enable us to handle the increased demand for delivery expertise in time-definite express shipments.
“The new planes will support our objective to maintain a well-connected regional network and optimise our operations whilst simultaneously improving our environmental footprint in line with our zero-emissions strategy.”
DHL said the addition of the new planes will increase its overall load capacity by over 33 percent, and will be used to service existing high-demand lanes across the GCC, extended Middle East, Africa and Indian subcontinent which house some of DHL’s key commercial partners.
The planes offer a 24 percent increased payload and are fitted with winglets, resulting in a 5 percent reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
“The new aircraft will greatly contribute to enhancing our reach and service across key markets in the region such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, East Africa and on our Asian lanes amongst others”, added Richard Gale, head of DHL Aviation Middle East and Africa.
Investments in strengthening DHL’s MENA air network continue to form part of the company’s wider strategy to enhance its capabilities in the region and better service high demand destinations.
In the past six years, DHL said it has almost doubled its regional aviation touch points and boosted international flights to over 175 per week.
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