DHL opens six new Asia corridors to expand healthcare air cargo network
The new route links major pharmaceutical hubs in Europe, North America and Asia, providing customers with more routing options, dedicated temperature-controlled capacity and greater control over sensitive healthcare shipments.
Categories: Logistic, Air, Cargo, Business
DHL Global Forwarding is introducing six dedicated air cargo corridors into its DHL Health Logistics Cold Chain Network, linking Europe and North America to key healthcare and pharmaceutical hubs across Asia. The initiative will strengthen links between key manufacturing, research and distribution hubs, while enhancing the reliability of temperature sensitive shipments.
The six new routes are Liege to Shanghai, Brussels to Shanghai, Brussels to Singapore, Cincinnati to Singapore, Cincinnati to Tokyo Narita and Cincinnati to Seoul Incheon. The new connections will provide pharmaceutical customers with greater flexibility in planning shipments and more consistent transit performance in strategically important markets, DHL said.
The expanded network will give access to temperature-controlled cargo capacity to help reduce supply chain risk and support the quality of sensitive healthcare products during transport.
“These new corridors further expand our Cold Chain Network into strategically important healthcare markets across Asia,” said Henk Venema, Global Head of Airfreight at DHL Global Forwarding.
The new connections are in response to customer demand for reliable links between major healthcare markets, said Venema. They also aim to strengthen DHL’s ability to sustain quality standards and to have greater control over shipments during the transportation process.
The expansion will be built around DHL’s dedicated network, with most flights operated by the company’s distinctive yellow-branded aircraft. By keeping shipments within this network, there are fewer handovers between operators, fewer points of transfer and more oversight for DHL from departure to arrival.
The routes are served by Boeing 777 freighters for DHL. The aircraft has three separate compartments with their own temperature settings, allowing different cargo requirements to be accommodated during transport.
It comes after the launch of the Brussels-Cincinnati air corridor earlier this year. DHL’s Cold Chain Network utilizes specialized operating procedures, validated handling processes, dedicated healthcare routes, and temperature-controlled infrastructure to facilitate the movement of sensitive products.
The network uses specialized thermal blankets and validated operational procedures that limit exposure to temperatures outside of specified ranges to help maintain the required conditions during handling and transfers. Such measures are especially relevant when shipments are passing through different phases of the logistics chain.
The expanded network will allow the movement of a wide variety of healthcare products including pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, clinical trial materials and other temperature sensitive medical goods. DHL incorporates thermal blanket solutions and phase change materials into its temperature-controlled logistics services.
The new Brussels-Singapore and Cincinnati-Singapore routes are seen to boost Singapore’s position as a gateway in DHL’s worldwide healthcare logistics network. The extra capacity will bolster ties between the city-state and key pharmaceutical markets in Europe and North America.
The launch comes after DHL Global Forwarding announced further investment in healthcare logistics infrastructure in Singapore, including the planned development of a dedicated Singapore Cold Chain Hub. It will also be equipped with dedicated storage and handling areas for 2-8°C and 15-25°C shipments, and will benefit from direct airside access to ensure seamless cargo transfers.
Cincinnati will continue to serve North American customers as a key gateway to pharmaceutical markets throughout Asia. DHL is also growing its life sciences and healthcare facility in Indianapolis, roughly a 2.5-hour drive from Cincinnati. This will increase the operational space and pallet storage capacity for products needing temperatures of 2-8°C.
DHL is expanding its dedicated cold chain capabilities with six new corridors, specialized handling procedures and planned infrastructure investments to meet healthcare customers’ requirements for reliable international transport and the protection of temperature-sensitive products.
