DHL adds direct Shanghai-Bangkok freighter service

Dhaka: DHL Express has introduced a new direct cargo flight between Shanghai and Bangkok, adding capacity to a key trade corridor connecting China with Southeast Asia and onward markets in Europe and the Middle East.

The new daily service operates on the Shanghai-Bangkok-Bahrain-Brussels-Shanghai route using a Boeing 767 freighter with a maximum payload of 50 tons.

DHL said the new connection is designed to support changing trade patterns as businesses in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos increasingly source materials and products from China.

Peter Bardens, senior vice president for Network Operations and Aviation – Asia Pacific at DHL Express, said the service responds to growing movement of goods between China and Southeast Asia, while also meeting continued demand from European and Middle Eastern markets for products manufactured in the region.

Bangkok will serve as a gateway to the wider Indochina market, while Bahrain and Brussels will provide connections through DHL’s regional hubs.

The company said the new service will help businesses move raw materials, components and finished products more efficiently across Asia and to international markets.

The expansion follows DHL’s recent investment in its Shenzhen gateway at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. The facility’s daily handling capacity has been increased to 900 tons, around three times its previous throughput, amid rising cross-border trade and e-commerce shipments.