UPS begins its first direct flight from India to Europe with Boeing 747

November 9, 2021: A UPS 747 flight is now connecting India directly to Europe and connecting UPS customers to North and Latin American markets five days per week.

“That doubles the company’s previous capacity to and from India for small and medium-sized business customers looking to grow their revenue base. UPS’s first direct flight from India will connect Delhi to its largest international hub at Cologne, Germany,” reads the release.

Customers have been diversifying their supply chains as they respond to pandemic disruptions. And cargo space in the belly of passenger aircraft – normally reliable and cost-effective – has been significantly reduced. Now, buoyed by market demand and with an eye on business continuity, Indian entrepreneurs are looking for reliable alternatives to import and export products.

It brings more capacity with the Boeing 747 (payload of 307,000 pounds), which translates to lower cost for customers and lower emissions with fewer flights needed.

“When business demand is increasing and volumes globally are being challenged, what you need is a smart logistics network that can respond to what customers are asking for, in an altered business environment. The agility to connect major economies to India via a direct flight for exports and imports is an example of UPS’s better not bigger strategy and will provide reliability and expanded capacity to UPS’s customers,” said Rachid Fergati, Managing Director Middle East, Central Asia, and Indian subcontinent for UPS.

“India is an integral part of our international growth strategy. It’s why we opened a dedicated express terminal at the Delhi airport last year,” said Deepak Shrivastava, country manager for UPS Express India. “The past months have been an inflection point for international supply chains. But we were ready. We’ve been in business for more than a century, far longer than any of our competitors. If there’s one thing we know how to do, it’s how to turn challenges into opportunities.”

The direct flight between India and Europe will keep supply chains moving, provide better connectivity, and increase predictability for UPS customers.