A water salute ceremony was held to welcome the first FedEx Boeing 767 Freighter that was used to kick-start the new flight in the evening of October 31, 2023.
Manila, Philippines – FedEx Express (FedEx), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, is further enhancing its intercontinental services between Vietnam and the Philippines as well as other markets in Asia, Middle East, Africa (AMEA) and Europe, with the introduction of a new flight offering faster transit times.
Effective October 31, 2023, the new flight will use a dedicated B767 freighter flying four evenings a week from Ho Chi Minh City connecting Asia and Europe through the FedEx Asia Pacific Hub in Guangzhou, China. Exporters shipping from Southern Vietnam will benefit from faster transit times for shipments to the Philippines and major Asian markets in just one business day, and two business days to Europe*.
These new flights offer additional capacity on top of the current five flights to Asia, Europe and the US -- four daily morning flights through the FedEx South Pacific Hub in Singapore and one current evening flight through the Asia Pacific Hub. With a total of nine weekly flights departing from Ho Chi Minh City, FedEx continues to support businesses in tapping the huge growth potential in the region.
Southeast Asia’s manufacturing hubs are growing and diversifying to include increasingly higher-value goods and services. Multilateral free trade agreements like CPTPP and RCEP[1] are creating close-knit ties that are helping make the region an increasingly important trading partner.
“We continue to transform our air network to offer differentiated service for our customers and that includes building capacity and creating faster connections to meet demand,” said Kawal Preet, president of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region, FedEx Express. “The Tiger Economies of Southeast Asia continue to grow at an accelerated pace, with a forecast of 4.9% growth in 2024.[2] What we see happening in Vietnam is a great example of these regional trends. Our enhanced service in Vietnam is part of our journey to build a more flexible, efficient, and intelligent network and deliver an outstanding customer experience.”
“The improved transit time from Vietnam to the Philippines will support the growth in trade volumes between both markets[3]. With the ratification of RCEP, we anticipate increased investments within the world’s largest free trade area, stimulating economic growth in Southeast Asia,” said Maribeth Espinosa, managing director of FedEx Express Philippines. “In 2022, trade between the Philippines and Vietnam reached USD 7.8 billion, a 14.7 percent increase from the previous year[4]. Combined with the projected revenue growth of e-commerce in Southeast Asia[5], the role of logistics in enabling intra-Asia trade becomes even more pronounced. The continuous rollout of enhanced and differentiated FedEx solutions will enable Philippine businesses to access more import and export opportunities.”
FedEx has been supporting cross-border trade to and from Vietnam since it established operations in the country in 1994. With the new flight, local businesses serving international customers may gain a competitive edge with expedited delivery times. This latest announcement underscores the company’s dedication to improving services in Vietnam and strengthening operations across the AMEA region.
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[1] Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
* Transit times may vary depending on specific origin and destination postal codes.
[2] Asian Development Bank, Outlook July 2023.
[3] https://www.philstar.com/business/agriculture/2023/05/11/2265552/philippines-vietnam-expand-relations-beyond-rice-trade
[4] Philippine News Agency, July 2023
[5] https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/southeast-asia