UPS to open new Asia hub in China

Mumbai, May 21 (UNI) International shipping company, United Parcel Service (UPS) is building a USD 180 million intra-Asia air hub in Shenzhen, China that will start its operations in 2010.

The Company expects the new air hub to significantly reduce operational costs and transit time across the Asia region, a release said today.

''Shenzhen's strategic location will provide significant time-in-transit and cost advantages along these rapidly expanding trade lanes,'' UPS, Asia- Pacific president Derek Woodward said.

''In making the switch, we intend to build the new sorting hub with five times the capacity of the existing hub (in Philippines),'' he said.

The new hub located will occupy an area of approximately one million square feet and will include express customs handling unit, sorting facilities, cargo handling, cargo build-up areas and ramp handling operations.

It will initially be capable of processing up to 18,000 pieces per hour, which can be expanded to a capacity of 36,000 pieces per hour.

The new hub is expected to slash at least a day off shipment times-in-transit in almost 200 pairs across the continent and also offer new level of service to the manufacturing region in Guangdong province, located north of Shenzhen, the release added.

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