Southern Air expands DHL freighter fleet

Southern Air, subsidiary of Worldwide Air Logistics Group, has expanded its fleet with the addition of a fifth Boeing 777 and a fifth Boeing 737-400 that extends the air freight service available to DHL Express. With air freight experiencing good growth annually, and DHL’s Express business doing better overall than its parent company Deutsche Post DHL as a whole, the expansion of the Southern Air fleet shows continued confidence in its air freight business.

Southern Air is the first air freight company to use the Boeing 777 long distance aircraft. The passenger version of the 777 is known as the Dreamliner, which is one of the lightest, most advanced and efficient aircraft on the market. The Boeing 737-400 aircraft is used for short haul airlift work across the US and is known for its safety and efficiency.

Southern Air’s new 777 adds to the two companies’ nine year 777 flight services agreement that was announced last year. Meanwhile the Boeing 737-400 is a short haul freighter that fulfils a separate long term flight services agreement between Southern Air and DHL Express. Both aircraft joining the fleet signal a continuing confidence in air freight for the coming years and that DHL is needing new space to meet customers’ demands worldwide.

Dan McHugh, Worldwide Air Logistics Group CEO, said of the expansion of the DHL fleet, “With these latest additions to our growing fleet, we are honored to serve as a trusted provider to DHL Express for both domestic and international network airlift operations.”

Prone to peaks and troughs with global economic demand, international express companies use third party companies to carry the risk of air freighters that are sometimes mothballed in slower economic times. The sign that DHL has the need for more aircraft at its disposal suggests that the company sees no dip in the immediate future for the global economy.

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