Singapore Airlines and DHL Express welcomed the arrival of their first Boeing B777 freighter at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) on August 16, 2022.
The Singapore flag carrier and DHL Express signed a crew and maintenance agreement in March 2022 to deploy five Boeing 777 freighters. The freighters will be operated by Singapore Airlines pilots, with the maintenance overseen by SIA.
The new freighter, which sports a dual DHL-SIA livery, has a maximum capacity of 102 tonnes. Singapore Airlines said it will be used on routes to the US via South Korea thrice weekly from August 2022.
The second B777 freighter is expected to enter into service in November 2022. Singapore Airlines plans to use both freighters on its Singapore-Incheon-Los Angeles-Honolulu-Singapore route six times weekly.
The remaining three freighters are planned for delivery throughout 2023. Following this, all five freighters will operate on routes between the US and Singapore via North Asia and Australia.
“SIA’s long standing partnership with DHL reinforces Singapore’s position as a key air cargo and e-commerce logistics hub, and highlights our firm commitment to our cargo business,” Lee Lik Hsin, executive vice president commercial of Singapore Airlines, said in a statement.
Lee added: “Air cargo also plays a vital role in keeping global supply chains open. Apart from supporting the fast-growing e-commerce segment, this new freighter operation provides a foundation to expand the partnership between SIA and DHL in the future.”