DHL Enhances Transatlantic Express Services with B767 Extended Range

Operated by United Kingdom-based DHL Air, a total of six Boeing 767ERF will help DHL further boost the company's on-time performance and reliability of its transatlantic services. The aircraft will replace the shared capacity of its MD-11F aircraft currently in use through a joint venture with Lufthansa Cargo.

Transatlantic trade has been at a continuously high level in recent years, with Europe-to-USA and USA-to-Europe trade flows reaching a value of USD347 billion and USD288 billion respectively in 2008. The company's volumes in the transatlantic air express market remained at a high level during the recent economic crisis and are expected to increase when the global economy has fully recovered.

With a payload capacity of 59 tons and a maximum range of 3,700 miles, the 767ERF aircraft is widely recognized as one of the most modern mid-range wide body freighters currently available. The new aircraft will serve daily direct flights between the USA and Europe, which include daily direct flights between DHL Express' major European hub in Leipzig (LEJ), Germany, and New York (JFK), while another daily direct flight serves routes between DHL Express' major international Americas regional hub in Cincinnati and gateway in New York (JFK) to-and-from East Midlands, United Kingdom. These flights will further improve the international connectivity of the U.S. network and enable the company to expand its next day Time Definite transatlantic services between the U.S. East Coast and Europe. DHL is the first company to register this aircraft type in Europe, following certification through the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

"By introducing the Boeing 767ERF into our own DHL air fleet we are following our smart technology approach, which aims at achieving high efficiency gains through the use of the most modern technology available, wherever possible," said Charlie Dobbie, Executive Vice President, Express Network Operations and Aviation. "Furthermore, operating this highly-reliable new aircraft type on our transatlantic routes proves that we are serious about further improving our capabilities for U.S. inbound and outbound international express services. Moreover, the aircraft's efficiency also enables us to maintain a very competitive offer and implement our group-wide GoGreen strategy."

Due to its advanced engine technology and the winglets provided by Aviation Partners Boeing, the 767ERF stands out as one of the most-efficient and environmentally-friendly aircraft of its class. In addition, it plays a significant role in Deutsche Post DHL's global GoGreen strategy, which foresees an improvement of the group's carbon efficiency by 30 percent by the year 2020, also to be achieved by re-fleeting measures.

The key fuel efficiency and environmental benefits of the new fleet include:

• 53% less fuel per trip and 53% less CO2 emissions.
• Savings of approximately 1,000 U.S. gallons of fuel on a typical return trip from Europe to the U.S.
• Fuel savings of approximately 1,585,000 gallons per year, calculated for all six 767ERF aircraft on the transatlantic route, five times a week, 52 weeks a year.