UPS Adds New Link to China

Global logistics specialist UPS is to further expand its cargo connections between Asia, Europe and the US with a new service to the Chinese city of Chengdu. The new ‘around-the-world’ flight will originate at UPS's European hub in Cologne, Germany, and make a stop in Warsaw before transiting Chengdu's Shuangliu International Airport en route to its Asia hub in Shanghai. The service will operate once a week using a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F.

With the Chengdu flight, UPS now will connect Europe and Asia with a total of 24 flights per week, providing more next day options and represents another step in UPS's ever-growing China network – it serves 330 cities in China and operates 200 weekly flights connecting China to markets around the world.

"China's 'Go West' program is making it very attractive for companies to move production facilities to inland cities like Chengdu and we believe the area is poised for accelerated growth in express shipping," said Dan Brutto, President, UPS International.

Chengdu is the capital of China's western Sichuan province and is growing rapidly. Its Gross Domestic Product has grown by approximately 15 per cent in each of the past two years and the province's retail sales swelled nearly 19 per cent in 2010, while its foreign trade surged 36 per cent in 2010 to US$32.78 billion. The city will also be host to the tenth Routes Asia forum, which will take place between April 15 -17, 2012.