UPS on Monday (28/03) announced the launch of direct flights from Hong Kong to Europe, enabling the company to offer the widest next-day delivery coverage for both packages and heavy freight to Europe from Hong Kong. With the addition of four direct flights, UPS now offers a total of 11 flights from Hong Kong to Europe each week. This gives companies in the region easier access and more options to conduct business with Europe. Indeed, with these flights, UPS reaches more of Europe next day, guaranteed, than any logistics carrier. The new daily direct flights will link Hong Kong with Cologne, Germany, Monday to Thursday using modern B747-400 aircraft. They will operate in addition to the seven flights that UPS already offers each week between Hong Kong and Cologne via Dubai. Beyond offering an accelerated option for shipping packages, the new direct flights also will change the landscape for air freight shipments. UPS now delivers to more European destinations from Hong Kong with next day, guaranteed express freight service than anyone. The new service offers wide coverage across Europe reaching 34 countries with non-dutiable small package and letters service, and 18 countries with dutiable small package service. With the UPS express freight service, shipments can be delivered in one day to 18 countries and 39 cities across Europe, including Paris, Milan, Prague, Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona and Copenhagen. UPS's Cologne air hub is the centerpiece of the company's extensive and integrated European air and ground network, which includes 460 operating facilities and 156 daily intra-Europe flight segments, ensuring UPS can deliver to every address in Europe. This efficient network is supported by some of the world's most advanced technology and gives companies a competitive advantage by providing them the ability to reach virtually any market using one logistics provider door-to-door. "Hong Kong is a strategically important market for UPS with its proximity to mainland China and its well-established trade connections with the rest of the world," said Dan Brutto, president of UPS International. "With the EU becoming an important trading partner for many Asian markets, the launch of these flights shows a commitment to Asian businesses by providing them additional and faster options on these trade lanes." "The new direct flights significantly reduce the transit time between Hong Kong and Europe, providing European businesses that import from Asia a faster and more efficient option," added Wolfgang Flick, president of UPS Europe. "Over the last few years, Hong Kong to Europe has become one of the fastest growing trade lanes. UPS's new flights add significant capacity to support this lane." (ups/mar)