DHL: Flying in Bahrain’s fresh flowers from Nairobi
In a calmer moment amid the hustle and bustle of Bahrain International Airshow, few delegates sitting down to lunch are likely to have questioned where the flowers adorning their tables came from – with aviation playing an essential link in their journey to the table.
A significant amount of the flowers imported into the Kingdom of Bahrain are transported via air from Nairobi, explained a pilot onboard the DHL Bahrain’s Boeing 767-300, which positioned in yesterday from Kuwait. Nicknamed the ‘Cadillac’ by today’s flight crew for the type’s wide cockpit (a total of 4.72m), the varied cargo carried by DHL Bahrain underscores the importance of air freight – and its ongoing value to the region.
Differentiations typically exist among the types of cargo imported from various regions. While cargo inbound from Pakistan often includes meat and fruit, an aircraft returning from Africa often “smells fantastic” with the fragrance of flowers, fruit and avocados. DHL Bahrain’s two longest routes – to Hong Kong and Singapore – usually serve a bustling e-commerce market (including pallet-loads of electronic devices), while “seven tons of onions”, and “several tons of fish and chocolate” (thankfully, not stored directly alongside) also feature on the memorable list of curious cargo holds.
During Covid, the DHL fleet proved a vital lifeline – quite literally – in helping deliver Covid vaccines as part of its pharmaceutical remit. Live animals, too, can be carried (subject to appropriate permissions), including pallets of small birds, sheep, and service dogs on repatriation flights back from Afghanistan. With a total cargo capacity of 120,000lbs, there’s room for a lot on board – with DHL having inaugurated a £181 million expansion of its Bahrain International Airport facility in order to better serve the MENA region.
It’s certainly a finely orchestrated act. Around 20 flights a day (across DHL Bahrain’s entire fleet) are subject to ‘slot control’ at their respective destinations, required to meet a finely-tuned 30 minute arrival window or else face a fine.
The addition of three converted 767-300s (the last one joining DHL Bahrain fleets in June 2023) took the carrier’s total units to ten, with it potentially looking to augment its capacity still further with the addition of a further four aircraft. However, with the average fleet age at ‘just’ 22 (approximately) years, these airframes have plenty of life in them yet – carrying the items we just can’t live without.
