UPS announced the launch of direct flights from Hong Kong to Europe, enabling the company to offer next-day delivery coverage for both packages and heavy freight. With the addition of four direct flights, UPS says it now offers a total of 11 flights from Hong Kong to Europe each week, giving companies in the region easier access and more options to conduct business with Europe.
The new daily direct flights will link Hong Kong with Cologne, Germany, from Monday to Thursday using modern B747-400 aircraft. They will operate in addition to the seven flights that UPS already offers each week between Hong Kong and Cologne via Dubai. The new service offers wide coverage across Europe reaching 34 countries with nondutiable small package and letters service, and 18 countries with dutiable small package service.
“Hong Kong is a strategically important market for UPS with its proximity to mainland China and its well-established trade connections with the rest of the world,” says Dan Brutto, president of UPS International. “With the EU becoming an important trading partner for many Asian markets, the launch of these flights shows a commitment to Asian businesses by providing them additional and faster options on these trade lanes.”
With the UPS express freight service, shipments can be delivered in one day to 18 countries and 39 cities across Europe, including Paris, Milan, Prague, Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona and Copenhagen. UPS’s Cologne air hub is the centerpiece of the company’s extensive and integrated European air and ground network, which includes 460 operating facilities and 156 daily intra-Europe flight segments, ensuring UPS can deliver to every address in Europe.
“The new direct flights significantly reduce the transit time between Hong Kong and Europe, providing our customers a fast and efficient option when doing business with their European trading partners,” says Derek Woodward, president of UPS Asia Pacific. “The rapid speed to market allows them to respond quicker to shifting market demands and in turn, helps them better serve their customers. The new flights also add significant capacity to support the fast-growing Hong Kong to Europe lane, which will benefit many of our air freight customers.”
