International express services provider DHL Express has welcomed its first ever airbus A330-300 at its Penang Gateway in Malaysia as part of rapidly-growing Asia Pacific air network.
The aircraft is the first of four A330-300s to join the DHL Express fleet under a new passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion deal with Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), flying six times a week.
The deal is a joint venture between Airbus and Singapore Technologies Aerospace.
The first A330-300 will serve markets with particularly high e-commerce trade volumes, including Malaysia and Vietnam.
Subsequent A330-300s slated for deployment later this year will also focus on intra-Asia connections as the region's middle-class along with its consumption rates continues to expand.
The A330-300 will provide additional high-volume catering specifically to regional e-commerce activity with a gross payload of 61 metric tonnes.
Following its conversion from passenger to freight use, the airbuses feature a range of upgrades including reinforcements to its fuselage, floor structure, and door frame shell and a powered cargo loading system.
The Asia Pacific CEO of DHL Express, Ken Lee said this launching marks a significant step forward in enhancing our service standards.
DHL Express aims to meet the evolving needs of their customers, e-commerce merchants and other businesses tapping into intra-Asia trade growth, Ken Lee said.
DHL Express Asia Pacific's Executive Vice President (network operations and aviation) Sean Wall said the airbuses carry more than 20 per cent extra cargo than other mid-range cargo aircraft.
A statement said, deployments of A330-300 airbuses form the latest stage of DHL Express' ongoing investments in its air freight infrastructure.
Future planned deployments will increase payload capacity by up to 50 per cent compared to current aircraft, it said.
DHL connects people and businesses, enabling global trade flows, with about 360,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.
