UPS plans to fly six nights per week to RI

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Atlanta-based courier United Parcel Service (UPS) plans to triple the freight capacity of its Indonesian services to 14 tons per night starting in June this year, indicating the company's confidence in Indonesia's trade prospects.

UPS Indonesia announced on Wednesday that it had completed negotiations with authorities to operate a Boeing 737 express cargo jet six nights per week from Halim Perdanakusumah airport in Jakarta starting in June.

"The new service will help local exporters and importers to compete in global trade," UPS Indonesia country manager Dave Metcalf told a media conference on Wednesday.

He did not provide further details on the planned drastic increase of its Indonesian capacity, but said that it was part of its move to increase capacity and provide faster delivery times for goods moving within and out of Asia.

UPS International just opened its intra-Asia hub in the former U.S. Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines on April 4.

It chose the Philippines because its open-sky policy allows easy processing of air cargo.

The new hub allows UPS to reach major cities in Asian countries within four hours.

The new hub has also helped UPS Indonesia to improve services to customers in Indonesia by extending its pick-up time in Indonesia to as late as 9 p.m., with guaranteed delivery to any address in the U.S. or 280 cities throughout Western Europe by 8:30 a.m. on the second day.

Founded in 1907, UPS now serves more than 200 countries and territories with more than 250 heavy jet aircraft. In 2001, UPS International generated total revenues of US$30.6 billion.