UPS, which is scheduled to open its new hub in Shanghai next year, will increase cargo capacity to the Chinese city by switching its planes from the MD-11s in current service to Boeing 747-400s.

The new hub will be built on a one million square foot site. When it opens, it will operate around the clock, throughout the year.

UPS will ramp up its service over time with sorting capacity projected to reach 17,000 pieces per hour by 2012. The hub will link all of China to the UPS international network through Shanghai, and to the rest of Asia, Europe and the Americas. In the mix are points in China served by UPS through services provided by an all-cargo airline, Yangtze River Express.