Logistics service provider Dachser has resumed its weekly air charter from Hong Kong to Frankfurt, which will now become a year-round service, a press release stated.

“At the end of last year, the effect of increased e-commerce became especially evident in the load factors and intensified the shortfall in capacity,” says Timo Stroh, head of global air freight at Dachser.

Stroh noted the usual increase in freight volumes will re-appear in the run-up to the Chinese New Year in February. By establishing its own network with dedicated capacity last year, Dachser said it ensured ‘security and stability’ on the most important freight lanes between Europe, Asia, and the US.

“Our dedicated own Dachser air network capacity provides our customers with security and makes us less vulnerable to the fallout from volatile market events,” Stroh added.

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Apart from the Hong Kong to Frankfurt connection, the company also offers the same charter service for the Frankfurt to Chicago route and return.

“When the pandemic left a large proportion of passenger aircraft grounded, transporting freight as additional loads on these aircraft was no longer an option, which had an impact on global air freight capacity. The air freight sector is still feeling the effects of this capacity shortage,” it noted.

Dachser is responding to market demand by developing its air network capacity with fixed transit times to make the service reliable and enable customers to plan ahead. It is also combining its networks on other modes, such as road and air & sea, to respond quickly to changing route situations in Europe and accelerate the pickup and delivery processes.

The company said an expansion of its air network is planned for the second quarter, positioning the logistics service provider to be well prepared to handle the uncertain market environment in 2021.