DHL Global Forwarding has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Turkish Cargo, the freight division of flag carrier Turkish Airlines
The deal "will not only further improve each other’s operational efficiency, but also enhance Istanbul’s potential to become a leading logistics hub for the world," according to DHL.
The MoU means DHL will use SMARTIST, "the mega cargo facility of Turkish Cargo at Istanbul Airport", in turn meaning significant jump in the volume of the air cargo going through the former Constantinople.
"The combination of Turkish Cargo’s intercontinental air cargo network with Türkiye’s unique geographical advantages, enables Turkish Cargo to support DHL Global Forwarding global hub concept with its vast specialized knowledge and advanced operational capabilities at Istanbul Airport," the German logistics company said.
"We are happy to intensify our long-lasting partnership with Turkish Cargo, that not only provides us with reliable air cargo capacity, but also state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure to handling air freight,” said Thomas Mack, global head of air freight at DHL Global Forwarding.
Turkish Airlines' chief cargo officer Turhan Özen said that the integration of SMARTIST with DHL "will enhance our service quality and strengthen the hub position of Istanbul further".