In January, the first of two routes linking three continents was launched at Munich Airport. The new service complements the existing blockspace contracts that DB Schenker has with selected airline partners. It is a response to the ongoing shortage of freight capacity on passenger flights. Each week, the 43 DB Schenker flights can transport as much freight as 135 wide-body passenger aircraft.

Thorsten Meincke, Member of the Management Board for Air and Ocean Freight at DB Schenker: "As passenger traffic is still far from recovering, we have decided to create new and reliable freight options for our customers. I am particularly pleased about our new connections via Munich Airport. Our existing and already strong network of flights will become even more global."

Starting this week, the first new service will operate from Chicago (RFD) via Munich to Tokyo (NRT) and Seoul (ICN) before returning to Germany and from there back to the USA. The routing is operated by National Airlines and offers a combined weekly transport capacity of 400 tons. The second service will commence at the end of February and will alternate between Munich to Chennai (MAA) and Munich to Chicago (RFD), with a combined weekly capacity of 300 tons. Both services will be operated for a full year to ensure stability in a challenging environment.

Jost Lammers, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board at Munich Airport: "We are delighted that DB Schenker, one of the most important and largest logistics service providers in the world, has chosen Munich Airport as the hub for its intercontinental cargo flights between the USA and the Far East. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is unfortunately a lack of sufficient belly capacities on passenger jets due to the greatly reduced number of flights. This makes pure cargo traffic all the more important for Munich Airport. That is why Europe's first 5-star airport not only offers passengers an excellent range of services, but also provides cargo handling of the highest standard."

Overall, DB Schenker manages a global route network of its own cargo flights that spans almost all continents. With late departure times at important gateways in many markets, later delivery deadlines for consignment handovers can be realized. All connections are served by Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 full-freighter jets.

In 2020, the number of flights managed and marketed by DB Schenker rose to a record high. Many of the new connections were initially set up to replace missing passenger flights. This will continue in 2021. In addition, medical products will remain an important driver of demand for capacity. General air freight volumes for the automotive industry and consumer goods are increasing, while capacity remains limited. With the expanded flight portfolio, DB Schenker also creates additional opportunities for the potential transportation needs for vaccines against COVID-19.