DHL, the world's leading international express services provider, announced significant enhancements to its intercontinental delivery capabilities, effective March 27, 2012. The launch of a new, additional round-the-world flight connecting Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Leipzig will create a unique service proposition on key trade lanes between Asia and Western U.S. and Canada.

The transit time capability between Asia and Western U.S. and Canada will be market-leading, with a greater number of Asian origin locations, including key trade hubs Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Manila and a significant number of cities throughout China benefiting from next-day connection into Los Angeles and much of Western U.S. and Canada. This represents the first time that customers in many Asian cities will be able to enjoy a one-day express delivery service with any carrier on this important intercontinental lane.

Thanks to a new onward connection from Los Angeles direct to DHL's European air hub in Leipzig, Germany, customers in Western U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Reno, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle will be able to order a pick-up from a DHL courier up to 3 hours later for their European shipments.

Capacity and service reliability on this new route will be enhanced by the introduction of three Boeing 777F freighters, operated by Southern Air. DHL announced in September 2011 that it had signed a multi-year agreement with Southern Air Holding Inc. to operate B777F freighters on intercontinental routes connecting the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. The first of these round-the-world routes - from Hong Kong to the Express hub in Cincinnati to Bahrain and back to Hong Kong - is already in operation. The additional freighters will bring the total number of B777F freighters in DHL's global fleet to 12.

"The introduction of this new round-the-world flight by DHL, The International Specialists, will bring unrivalled benefits to our customers in all sectors in Asia, Europe  the U.S. and Canada, and deliver reduced transit times on some of the world's most important trade lanes," said Ken Allen, CEO of DHL Express. "The additional capacity, range and reliability of the Boeing 777F freighters, as well as the increased fuel efficiency they bring to our fleet, will complement the significant investments we have already made in our global network over the last year and reinforce DHL's leading position in international time definite delivery."

The B777F freighter is expected to burn around 20 to 25 percent less fuel and has a superior max payload range on intercontinental routes, allowing more markets to be served non-stop. The continued upgrade to more efficient aircraft is in keeping with DHL's commitment to increase its carbon efficiency by 30 percent in 2020.