DL's Air Freight to Middle East: 20 Weekly Pallets with 2 Major Airlines

What does it take to be one of China's top five air freight to middle east specialists? Two essential conditions: strong financial resources and guaranteed weekly orders. This is definitely not a business that small freight forwarders operating out of urban villages can handle.

DL's air freight to middle east service isn't a here-and-there operation—it's built on a foundation of consistent order volume. That's why the company secures 20 weekly pallet spaces year after year from two major airlines. To those outside the industry, this might just sound impressive without understanding the real significance. So, what does this represent in China's logistics sector?

Let me break it down:

1.  Most logistics and freight forwarding companies rent airline pallet spaces only when they have an order.

2.  Slightly more established players, who have weekly orders, might secure two fixed pallet spaces per week.

3.  A company like DL, with solid capabilities, consistently books 20 weekly pallet spaces across two major airlines. That places them among China's top five.

4.  Securing spaces means paying for them whether you use them or not. This truly tests a company's financial strength.

5.  Even if a company has strong finances, it may not have guaranteed weekly orders. So, they can't commit to yearly block bookings.

6.  Companies that can consistently block-book spaces definitely have both financial power and steady weekly orders. They belong to the top 1% of logistics providers in China.

In summary, DL's air freight to middle east service is one of China's top five. By securing 20 weekly pallet spaces with two major airlines year after year, they handle ten times the volume of their average competitors. Small freight forwarders from urban villages simply don't have the capacity for this kind of operation. So, when shipping goods via air freight to middle east, be careful in selecting a forwarder. Don't overpay and risk getting stuck with an unreliable small operator.

Many factories shipping via air freight to middle east try to find connections within their network. This often adds middlemen, but the order usually ends up with DL anyway. Why not go directly to DL and save on the extra fees?

Here's a typical case to illustrate:

Hassan had a batch of precision servo motors worth 5 million RMB that needed urgent air freight to middle east. He was hesitant to use his previous forwarder. Some logistics companies work hard but lack the financial strength. Even if they claim to specialize in air freight to middle east, they might only have two weekly pallet spaces. Last time, his forwarder promised five spaces through connections, but when a bigger order came in, those spaces were taken back. Hassan's shipment was delayed for five days. He eventually managed to ship through another contact, but his factory in Dubai was shut down for those five days—frustrating, but there was nothing he could do.

This time, Hassan reached out to me. I arranged everything immediately: secured direct flight spaces, split the 15-ton shipment into 9 tons for direct flight and 6 tons for a connecting flight. This way, the entire batch was scheduled for a flight the day after tomorrow—no need to call in favors, saving him money and ensuring faster delivery.

Within 68 hours, everything was loaded—four hours ahead of Hassan's 72-hour requirement. Five days later, the entire shipment arrived safely at his designated warehouse in the UAE.

Information gaps always exist. There are 60,000 logistics and freight forwarders in Shenzhen alone, with over a thousand claiming to handle air freight to middle east. About 90% of them first find orders and then look for available space in the market. Even if they can rent space, they often manage only two or three pallets per week. Yet, many of these still call themselves "primary consolidators for air freight to middle east."

DL's air freight to middle east service operates on a "dual-guarantee" model: first, direct flights to the UAE from Monday to Friday, and second, flights from Guangzhou/Shenzhen via Beijing to the UAE from Monday to Sunday. This "direct + connecting" flight dedicated line fundamentally ensures timeliness and stability for large shipments.

I told Hassan that I understand the challenges his previous forwarder faced. In summer, high temperatures, frequent typhoons at departure points, and sandstorms in Dubai often lead to widespread flight cancellations and delays. But this isn't always the case. Ultimately, it comes down to the strength of the logistics provider or freight forwarder you choose.

Those who have used DL's air freight to middle east service find it smooth and reliable. Those who haven't often end up confused and frustrated.