DHL has expanded its Cold Chain Network with six new dedicated healthcare corridors connecting Europe and North America to Asia
They include Liège-Shanghai, Brussels-Shanghai, Brussels-Singapore, Cincinnati-Singapore, Cincinnati-Tokyo Narita, and Cincinnati-Seoul Incheon. The new corridors provide pharmaceutical customers with greater routing flexibility, access to temperature-controlled capacity and more consistent transit performance, helping reduce supply chain risk and protect product integrity.
The corridors are supported primarily through DHL’s dedicated network with the majority of flights operating on DHL’s own aircraft. This reduces handovers and gives DHL greater control over the cargo throughout its journey,. DHL deploys Boeing 777 freighter aircraft on its routes, offering three different compartments with dedicated temperature settings to optimally support the cargo’s temperature requirements.
The new routes follow the launch of the Brussels-Cincinnati air corridor earlier this year. Cincinnati serves as a strategic gateway connecting US customers with key pharmaceutical markets across Asia. DHL Global Forwarding is further expanding its dedicated life sciences and healthcare facility in Indianapolis with increased 2-8° Celsius floorspace for operational activities and pallet storage.
The Cold Chain Network combines dedicated healthcare corridors, specialized operational processes, validated handling procedures and temperature-controlled infrastructure, using specialized thermal-blanket solutions and validated operational processes to limit exposure to temperatures outside the required range during handling and transfer.
DHL Global Forwarding recently announced expanded healthcare logistics investments in Singapore, including the future DHL Singapore Cold Chain Hub with dedicated 2-8°C and 15-25°C storage and handling areas combined with direct airside access.
DHL Global Forwarding global head of air freight, Henk Venema, said: “These new corridors further expand our Cold Chain Network into strategically important healthcare markets across Asia. They respond to customer demand for reliable connectivity between major healthcare markets while giving us greater control over critical quality parameters throughout the transportation process. This enables our customers to move critical healthcare products with greater confidence and reliability.”
