DHL Global Forwarding expands Transpacific air cargo capacity with new route

DHL Global Forwarding expanded its Transpacific air cargo capacity with a thrice-weekly service connecting Bangkok (BKK) with its hub in Cincinnati (CVG), according to a July 9 press release.

The BKK-CVG service aims to provide shippers with more stable schedules and predictable costs, per the release. DHL Global Forwarding’s Transpacific network also includes flight operations from Hanoi (HAN) and Taipei (TPE) to U.S. hubs such as Chicago (ORD).

The widebody freighter route has 100 tons of capacity per flight — which is suited for oversized and high-value cargo, per the press release. The air cargo service started July 1, spokesperson Laura Lehnen told Supply Chain Dive.

“Southeast Asia continues to gain strategic importance as a manufacturing and sourcing region,” DHL Global Forwarding Global Head of Air Freight Henk Venema said in the release. “With our new Bangkok–Cincinnati connection and broader Transpacific network coverage, we are offering customers not only speed and capacity, but also the reliability and control they need to build more resilient supply chains.”

The new air cargo service is part of DHL Global Forwarding’s strategy to expand capacity in its air freight network, according to the press release. For instance, the forwarder recently added capacity between Asia and Europe.

Currently, the technology sector is the major driver for needed additional capacity from Southeast Asia, Lehnen said.

The Northeast and Southeast Asia to North America trade lanes have seen major gains in the past month as artificial intelligence hardware and semiconductor volumes boost air cargo demand, Xeneta reported this month. In June, air cargo demand was up 7% year over year due to volumes tied to AI-related hardware, especially on the Asia Pacific to North America trade lane. According to Xeneta, those volumes have been making up for the fall in e-commerce traffic.

Xeneta Chief Airfreight Officer Niall van de Wouw said that supply and demand is pushing up rates on the Transpacific corridors, both of which logged a more than 40% spike in spot rates in the final week of June compared with late February.