Fedex launches new Vietnam-India service, strengthens worldwide links

Leading courier services provider FedEx Express has launched new flight routes to enhance intercontinental services between Vietnam and India as also destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The company said the new services using dedicated Boeing 767 freighters became operational on October 31, according to its statements released Tuesday and Wednesday,

The new Vietnam-India service uses a dedicated B767 aircraft flying four evenings a week from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, improving transit time by one business day for importers in India. With a total of nine weekly flights departing from HCMC, shipments will now reach India within two business days.

FedEx said the new flight links will help businesses in India benefit from Vietnam’s status as a growing manufacturing hub. India is one of Vietnam’s top eight trading partners and their bilateral trade has seen steady growth over the years.

“The transit time enhancement can provide importers in India with a competitive advantage, by helping them build faster and more efficient supply chain networks with businesses in Vietnam. This facilitates trade and boosts the growth of businesses, especially SMEs, in both countries,” said Nitin Tatiwala, FedEx vice president of Middle East, Indian subcontinent, and Africa air networks.

The new Vietnam route connecting Asia and Europe uses a dedicated B767 freighter flying four evenings a week from HCMC, via the FedEx Asia Pacific Hub in Guangzhou, China. Exporters shipping from the southern region of Vietnam will benefit from faster transit times for shipments to major Asian markets in just one business day, and two business days to Europe.

The new flights offer additional capacity on top of the current five flights to Asia, Europe and the US – four morning flights through the FedEx South Pacific Hub in Singapore and one current evening flight through the Asia Pacific Hub.

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 are creating close-knit ties that are helping to make the region an increasingly important trading partner, the FedEx noted.

FedEx said it has been supporting cross-border trade to and from Vietnam since it established operations in the country in 1994. With the new flights, local businesses serving international customers will gain a competitive edge with expedited delivery times, it added.

Cargo transport in Vietnam reached 1.89 billion tons in the first 10 months of this year, up 14.4% year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office. Air freight accounted for the smallest portion of 0.3 million tons, up 9.9% year-on-year.

Vietnam's total import and export turnover of goods reached nearly $558 billion in the 10-month period, down 9.6% over the same period last year, with a trade surplus estimated at $24.61 billion.