UPS starts new airport gateway facility in Bengaluru

UPS on July 19 announced an expansion of its global logistics network with a new airport gateway facility in India at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.

"With this added capacity, a new Boeing 747-8 flight will now be able to further connect our customers in India with more international trade opportunities in Asia, Europe, and the Americas," the company said in a statement.

The new facility in Bengaluru is spread across 15,000 square feet and consists of a sorting field and in-house customs clearance. The new facility will serve as a cross-border trade link for southern India, giving customers an extended pick-up time of up to two hours, while strengthening supply chains for cross-border trade. UPS has been working on its new facility for the last 18 months.

The American supply chain major now has two gateway facilities in India, one in Delhi and one in Bengaluru spread across a total of 32,000 square feet.

UPS will operate an additional five flights per week from its new facility in Bengaluru, with one direct flight between Bengaluru and Koln in Germany, the company's headquarters. In total UPS will now operate 11 flights from India every week using its Boeing 747-8 wide-body aircraft. The Boeing 747-8 has a cargo capacity of 307,600 pounds, or about 30,000 packages, and a range of 4,200 nautical miles.

“Customers are at the core of our strategy, and we’re on a mission to deliver what matters for them. According to the ministry of commerce and industry, for the first time, in the financial year 2022, exports have surpassed $400 billion, demonstrating the strength of India’s supply chains and the resilience of its small businesses. We’re here to support that growth,” Deepak Shrivastava, UPS MD for the Indian Subcontinent said.

He added that the new Bengaluru facility will help UPS cater to clients from the southern states in India and going forward UPS will continue to invest in India based on requirements from clients in the country.

The new airport gateway follows the launch earlier this year of a new logistics brand for the Indian market, 'MOVIN', which is a joint venture between UPS and InterGlobe Enterprises, it was noted.