According to the company, the new Chengdu route will ensure evening pickup and next-day delivery for shipments to Chengdu and other key points in southwestern China, including Chongqing, Kunming and Guiyang. The route is being served in cooperation with Yangtze River Express, Ltd., a Chinese all-cargo airline, via a Boeing 737-300F freighter departing five times per week. DHL said the addition will strengthen the connection between Chinese cities and the 220 countries and territories that constitute its global network across Asia, the Americas and Europe. DHL launched an additional direct flight earlier this year, connecting Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City. The five weekly B727F flights, each with a payload of 22 tons, is being operated by Air Hong Kong, DHL's joint-venture partner airline. In another company announcement, DHL is investing $47m to expand its Americas hub facility at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG). The move is in respond to the growing demands of international shipping customers, DHL said. The expansion includes a new, 193,000-square-foot sort facility, connected to the existing main sort facility at CVG. With the current expansion, DHL will have invested $105m in its CVG hub since 2009.
