DHL Express is adding more capacity from Asia Pacific to the Americas with a crew and maintenance agreement (CM) with long-time partner Singapore Airlines (SIA) who will operate five Boeing 777 freighters for the integrator.

The initial agreement is set for more than four years with the opportunity for an extension. As part of the agreement, the first aircraft will be delivered in July 2022, with the second one expected in October. The remaining three aircraft are planned for delivery throughout 2023.

DHL Express said it sees good prospects for strong growth in trans-Pacific trade lanes with the new freighter operation expected to meet customer demand in fast-growing international express shipping markets driven by e-commerce.

Based at Singapore’s Changi Airport and serving DHL’s South Asia Hub, the freighters will sport a dual DHL-SIA livery and will be operated by SIA pilots on routes to the US via points in North Asia. The flag carrier will also oversee the maintenance for the said aircraft.

“This new agreement guarantees capacity on our critical routes out of Singapore as we gear up for ongoing growth in Asia Pacific trade,” stressed Ken Lee, CEO DHL Express Asia Pacific.

“It gives us greater flexibility to add new routes and optimize our aircraft utilization in the face of unpredictable changes or sudden increases in demand.”