DHL Express is introducing a larger aircraft on the Leipzig-Katowice/Pyrzowice-Kyiv-Katowice/Pyrzowice-Leipzig route. Since November 4, 2013, international air shipments for customers in southern Poland have been transported by a Boeing 757-200F.
The Boeing 757-200F in DHL Express livery is the largest aircraft to serve this route to date, distinguished by its large cargo capacity, with a maximum gross payload of approximately 28 tons. For comparison, the aircraft used 5 years ago had a maximum payload capacity of 5 tons.
The Boeing operates regular connections between DHL’s largest European hub in Leipzig, the air shipment sorting center (gateway) located at Katowice/Pyrzowice Airport, and Kyiv. By extending the route to include Kyiv, Katowice International Airport serves as a transit airport and, in terms of air export transport, acts as the first point of entry into the European Union for goods from Ukraine.
Air transport is a key element of the extensive DHL Express network serving international connections. By modernizing its air fleet, DHL Express is setting new directions and high standards in the express services market: fast order fulfillment, high service quality, and security.
The company uses a modern standardized air network system. Globally, DHL Express serves over 500 airports in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Pacific region, and the United States. With a network of 120,000 connections, the company delivers shipments to over 220 countries and territories worldwide. In Poland, DHL Express has 6 international shipment sorting centers in the largest cities – Warsaw, Katowice, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Poznań, and Szczecin.
DHL shipments for all of southern Poland are handled by Katowice Airport in Pyrzowice, which is an international airport not only for the Silesian Voivodeship. In terms of the number of flight operations and the volume of cargo handled, it ranks second among Polish airports, after Warsaw.
– A larger DHL Express aircraft in Pyrzowice is another investment this year increasing our fleet capacity. The primary reason for the change is the growing demand for international air express shipment services from our customers in southern Poland. Thanks to the introduction of the Boeing 757 and the revised flight schedule, we will provide customers with the ability to deliver shipments earlier in the morning and send shipments later in the afternoon while maintaining the highest service standards. Thanks to successful cooperation with the Airport, we have achieved another challenge – we have a larger aircraft and have introduced a new connection on the Leipzig-Katowice/Pyrzowice-Kyiv routes, thereby creating new development opportunities today for Polish companies conducting business abroad. I am convinced that the timeliness of services and the high quality of service offered by DHL Express will result in further growth in the number of shipments and customer satisfaction in southern Poland – said Tomasz Buraś, CEO of DHL Express (Poland).
– The expansion of the offer by DHL confirms the strategy adopted many years ago to develop courier shipments from Katowice Airport as a hub for southern Poland. The cooperation between the airport and DHL is exemplary. We are very pleased that Katowice is the first Polish airport to open the gates to the European Union. Congratulating them on this bold decision, we are full of optimism for the further development of cargo connections from Katowice Airport – stated Artur Tomasik, President of the Management Board of Górnośląskie Towarzystwo Lotnicze SA, the company managing Katowice Airport.