Dachser expanding Shanghai airfreight service in ‘volatile’ coronavirus times

Charters between Germany and China rise as logistics provider readies for “whatever happens” in coming weeks

Dachser announced Thursday it is expanding its airfreight service to Shanghai. (Photo: Dachser)

Beginning Monday, Dachser Air & Sea Logistics will offer an air bridge among the United States, Latin America and its airfreight gateway in Frankfurt, Germany, for deliveries to Shanghai.

The charter flight rotation initially is scheduled to operate through the end of March.

Dachser, the Germany-headquartered global logistics provider, said in an announcement Thursday that it was adding to its existing charter service between Frankfurt and China because the worldwide coronavirus pandemic is “having a serious impact on capacity in the airfreight market.”

“Because the situation is so volatile, capacity planning is becoming a real challenge,” the announcement said.

Dachser said it will charter 747s and integrate them into the rotation of flights from Frankfurt to Shanghai and vice versa.

Airlines and logistics providers around the world are grappling with President Donald Trump’s announcement Wednesday night that a ban on travel from Europe to the United States would go into effect Friday.

Timo Stroh, head of global airfreight for Dachser, said, “We are ready for whatever happens in the airfreight market in the coming weeks.”

The International Air Transport Association, which represents airlines, last week said the industry could lose up to $113 billion in revenue this year in a worst-case scenario.

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Senior Editor Kim Link-Wills has written about everything from agriculture as a reporter for Illinois Agri-News to zoology as editor of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Her work has garnered awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. Prior to serving as managing editor of American Shipper, Kim spent more than four years with XPO Logistics.