TO HELP micro, small and medium industries access the global market, international service provider DHL Express has increased its freight capacity with a dedicated aircraft for Cebu.

The aircraft, an Airbus A300-600 freight aircraft, is dedicated to service the freight demand in the Visayas and Mindanao (Vismin) regions in the Philippines for bigger and seamless flow in air shipments.

“We are growing. With the Vismin regions expected to perform well with the national growth average, Vismin is a bright spot for DHL as we continue to invest in the country and improve our service offerings to our customers,” Nurhayati Abdullah, DHL Express Philippines country manager, said.

Abdullah said this move will also boost the homegrown businesses enagged in the local e-commerce sector that is said to be growing more than 30 percent this year.

She said this is another market they cater besides the manufacturing industry and overseas Filipino workers and their families.

She said inbound flights in Cebu arrive two hours earlier than commercial flights, allowing urgent documents and parcels to reach clients earlier.

Key cities like Bacolod, Iloilo and General Santos will also benefit from this aircraft.

Promod George, head of operations, said they used to utilize passenger carrier to deliver goods in and out of Cebu.

“Passenger aircrafts are subject to cancellations. In August, for example, we had protests in Hong Kong so we had some unfortunate cancellations because of that,” he said.

With a dedicated freighter aircraft, shipments will not depend on commercial flights which often prioritize baggages of passengers.

Moreover, George said this freight service will help manufacturers since the plane can carry goods like lithium batteries that are not allowed in the usual commercial plane.

“We support the growth of Philippines across all industries,” he said.

The plane, co-owned by AHK Air Hong Kong Limited and Cathay Pacific, will operate five times a week.