DHL Express said it is acquiring four 767-300 Boeing converted freighters as part of its efforts to modernize its long-haul intercontinental fleet with more eco-friendly, cost-efficient  and reliable aircraft. The aircraft are converted from passenger to freighter configuration by Boeing to fit the company’s needs and meet the rising global demand for express services, the company says in a statement.

"With a burgeoning e-commerce sector and the continued lack of belly space in passenger aircraft, there could not be a more opportune time to add these freighters to the DHL Express air network," says Sean Wall, executive vice president for network operations & aviation at DHL Express Asia Pacific. "The 767-300F is a proven model that we have operated across our global fleet for many years and it will continue to help us deliver excellence with greater efficiency and at a lower carbon footprint."

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the rapid growth of e-commerce was expected to exert pressure on supply chains and airfreight transportation. A study by Facebook and Bain & Company found that the average spend per digital consumer in Southeast Asia is expected to triple from 2018 to 2025. With many countries still under pandemic protection measures, the demand for fast and reliable cross-border shipping has grown exponentially.

Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing at The Boeing Company, says the aircraft maker has so far received 51 orders and commitments for the 767-300 converted freighters ( BCF ).

According to Boeing, the 767 Freighter Family is the world’s most efficient medium wide-body twin-engine freighter, boasting the lowest direct operating costs and best payload to weight ratio.

The 767-300BCF has virtually the same cargo capability as the 767-300F production freighter with approximately 50 tonnes of structural payload at a range of about 3,000 nautical miles ( 5,556 kilometers ) and 412,000 pounds ( 186,880 kilograms ) maximum takeoff weight.

Since 2019, DHL Express has also added 14 top-of-the-line fuel-efficient Boeing 777F to replace older 747-400s. The company operates over 260 dedicated aircraft with 17 partner airlines on over 3,000 daily flights across 220 countries and territories.