TNT increases express capacity between Asia and Europe

The new freighter mirrors investments being made by TNT in its Middle East operations, with its extensive Middle East Road Network, MERN, the largest and fastest of its kind.

Branded in full TNT livery, the B747-400ER is expect to be a regular visitor to Dubai helping to support the vast quantities of freight moving from both Europe and the Far East, where it will then be seamlessly delivered across the region via MERN.

Non-stop flights will operate between Hong Kong and TNT's European air hub in Belgium. This allows for connectivity with TNT's leading air and road network for delivery throughout Europe. The company can thus offer its customers fast transit times, control and visibility over shipments moving between Asia and Europe, while optimising its costs and fleet utilisation.

The new B747 freighter service from Hong Kong reflects TNT's commitment to investing and growing in emerging markets. TNT Express in the Middle East continues to invest in its services, offering clients more inter-modal options; sea/road and air/road, than ever before. The company has also recently invested in new hub facilities in JAFZA to accommodate growing volumes of regional freight.

Bryan Moulds, Country General Manager, TNT Express, commented:

"We look forward to welcoming the new Boeing to Dubai in the coming weeks. It will be a great addition to our strong existing fleet of land and air freight vehicles and will doubtless offer welcome support to the already high levels of freight travelling to and from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The dedicated service between Hong Kong and Europe strongly reflects the same levels of services and investment that we are committed to delivering to customers in the UAE, the Middle East and other emerging markets."

With its geographical and economic proximity to the Pearl River Delta and its central location in Asia, Hong Kong is a natural choice as a hub for serving customers in the south of China, but also in neighboring countries like Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan. It will add to TNT's other Asian international hubs, Shanghai, Beijing, and Singapore.

"With our integrated air and road delivery capabilities in Asia and Europe, we are well-placed to capitalise on the strong trading links between the two regions," said James McCormac, Regional Managing Director of TNT Asia Pacific.

"More importantly, the addition of a dedicated freighter from Hong Kong will ensure our customers, especially those in the high-tech, telecommunications, electronics and fashion industries, become more competitive due to faster factory-to-market lead times and increasing inventory management efficiency. Our continuous investment in Asia clearly demonstrates TNT's long-term confidence in the region and our continual commitment to raise our service capabilities on behalf of our customers," he added.

The 110 ton Boeing 747-400 ERF (Extended Range Freighter) offers the lowest ton-mile cost in the industry. It is also the most versatile carrier for multiple loading capabilities. In February 2007, TNT introduced direct flights from Shanghai to Liege with its first Boeing 747-400 ERF. The plane makes a stopover in Singapore on its way back to China.